Investigators said they found a 2-year-old soaked in blood, crying and trying to cuddle his deceased parents.
A murder trial is underway in Georgia against Matthew Scott Lanz, who stands accused of killing a beloved Cherokee County firefighter and his wife in 2021.
Matthew Scott Lanz is currently on trial in Cobb County, accused of fatally shooting his neighbors, Justin and Amber Hicks. He’s also facing a cruelty to children charge after fleeing the couple’s Acworth home, leaving their 2-year-old in the residence alone for hours.
During opening statements, the prosecution stated that security footage showed Lanz at his parents’ home, which is on the property line of the victims’ home, on November 17, 2021, the same night they were murdered.
Footage showed him walking in and around the Hicks’ property, in Acworth, between 9:31 p.m. to 9:55 p.m., then leaving the scene at 10:10 p.m.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the victims were found fatally shot inside the residence, on a couch. The couple’s toddler son and the family dog remained in the home until police arrived.
Investigators said they found the 2-year-old soaked in blood, crying and trying to cuddle the bodies of his deceased parents.
A few days later, police arrested Lanz after he allegedly broke into a Sandy Springs residence. When an officer responded to the scene, Lanz reportedly stabbed the officer several times in the neck and back; another officer then shot him.
According to Channel 2 Action News, the trial had been delayed numerous times over issues surrounding Lanz’s competency to stand trial.
In October, a forensic psychologist told the court that Lanz suffered from schizophrenia, but a judge found him competent to stand trial, Court TV reports.
Lanz requested a bench trial, meaning a judge will render the verdict.
The trial continues. Check back for updates.
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[Featured Photo: Hicks couple/Facebook]
