A man in Georgia has been sentenced for the deaths of a firefighter and his wife. The couple’s young child was found unharmed in the home.
Justin and Amber Hicks were found dead in their home in Acworth, Georgia, in November 2021. Their neighbor, Matthew Scott Lanz, was arrested and charged with murder. He was found guilty on all charges.
Officials said that Lanz broke into the couple’s home and shot them. The couple’s two-year-old son was asleep upstairs at the time. The child was not hurt.
Justin’s father went to the home to check on the couple after Amber missed work. He found the couple dead. Police found the toddler with his parents. He was trying to play with them. The child was covered in blood.
The reason for the murders is not clear. Lanz had told police that he saw “demonic lights” in the Hicks’ home. He also said that his brother, who had passed away, was bothered by the home’s previous residents.
Lanz’s brother had broken into the same home before. Months before the Hicks’ murders, Lanz’s brother died by suicide after stabbing a police officer.
Lanz’s lawyer argued that there was no evidence linking him to the crime scene.
Lanz was found guilty of several charges, including murder and child cruelty. He received multiple life sentences and additional years in prison.
