Overview

• Judge Courtney L. Johnson imposed the term after Hawk entered a guilty-but-mentally-ill plea to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, firearm possession and concealing a death.
• The agreement dropped an initial malice murder charge and secured credit for time served along with parole eligibility within the next decade.
• Investigators matched ten shell casings to Hawk’s gun and used security footage of a white BMW SUV plus GPS data to place him at the Panthersville crime scene.
• Frederick Rooks III was found with multiple gunshot wounds outside a Decatur-area home on January 21, 2021, and pronounced dead after officers recovered key evidence.
• Hawk’s legal team and publicist detailed his severe bipolar disorder diagnosis, past suicide attempts and 2020 arrests, leading to his expected placement in a specialized mental health facility.