Judge Finds Matthew Lanz Guilty On All Counts in Cobb County Double Murder Verdict

A Cobb County judge found Matthew Lanz guilty on all 13 counts in the 2021 murders of Justin and Amber Hicks, ending a four-year wait for justice.

What’s Happening: Judge Sonja Brown delivered guilty verdicts Thursday on every charge against Lanz, including two counts of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, home invasion, aggravated assault, firearm possession, cruelty to children and tampering with evidence. Lanz waived his right to a jury and chose a bench trial.

What’s Important: The guilty verdict on cruelty to children stems from Lanz leaving the couple’s 2-year-old son Jacob alone for nearly 12 hours with his dead parents. The toddler spent several hours of that time trying desperately to wake them up, bringing them toys and cuddling with them on the couch where they died.

Catch Up Quick: Lanz killed his neighbors Justin and Amber Hicks on November 17, 2021, at their Acworth-area home. Justin worked as a Cherokee County firefighter and the couple were childhood sweethearts raising their young son.

Lanz claimed he thought the homeowners had tormented his brother Austin, even though the Hicks family had only lived there three months. He also said he saw “demonic lights” at their house, which were Christmas lights.

• Lanz was arrested two days after the murders when he broke into a different home in Sandy Springs and stabbed a responding officer.
• In bizarre police footage, Lanz asked officers unprompted if Amber Hicks was pregnant when he killed her. She was not.

What’s Next: The court will reconvene Friday for victim impact statements. Sentencing will follow as Lanz faces life in prison for the double murder conviction.

The Sources: Cobb County court proceedings, Judge Sonja Brown’s verdict.