A Georgia firefighter and his wife were gruesomely killed in their home, and in the aftermath, their toddler cuddled with the corpses. So, who would do such a thing, and what will their punishment be? Keep reading for more details on this horrific situation.
Georgia Firefighter & Wife Killed
Tragedy struck a Cobb County, Georgia, family as they had finally found the home of their dreams. Timothy Justin Hicks, a Georgia-based firefighter, and his wife, Amber, settled down in September 2021. They loved the little house that they had purchased, and it was the perfect place to raise their two-year-old son. Unfortunately, the house had somewhat of a history. Their neighbors were Austin and Matthew Lanz, who had been nightmares for the previous owner, Phillip Brent. They harassed Brent and his partner while Austin had broken into the home before the Hicks family had moved into it. Furthermore, he had killed Pentagon Police Officer George Gonzalez.
He then went on to take his own life, so it was not all rainbows and butterflies. One evening, in November 2021, the Hicks’ family was cuddled up when things took a drastic turn. They were enjoying an evening on the couch while Matthew was outside their home, watching them. He broke in through the back and shot both Timothy and Amber, leaving their two-year-old son unaware of what happened. The toddler proceeded to cuddle and attempted to “play with his” deceased parents’ bodies. Matthew went on to break into someone else’s home, and that was where he was caught.
He stabbed an officer and was soon shot, but there were no fatalities. It is unclear why Matthew did this to the Georgia firefighter, but he believes it was a government setup. Initially, there were some questions as to whether he could stand trial or not. He was believed to be fine, but will not have a jury trial and will solely face a judge. His charges include:
- multiple counts of malice murder
- felony murder
- aggravated assault
- cruelty to children
This Is A Horrific Matter
Those who have been following this case are mortified by what has gone down. They cannot believe that anyone would have been capable of such cruelty. It was noted that the Hicks’ toddler’s toys had been purposely placed around his father after he was shot and killed. That way, he would want to go play around with his late dad, and ultimately, he was discovered with blood covering his body. This added to the twisted act as Matthew Lanz not only murdered two people for no reason, but their son cuddled up to them as if they were still alive. Many have chimed in with their thoughts on this:
- What is going on in this world?? It’s so evil.
- ……..WHY……. DESPICABLE Case…….. oh!!! a home invasion…..killing and baby left alone … s/b death penalty
Had you heard of this case, and are you shocked by it? Moreover, what do you think the Georgia judge will hand down as a punishment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Amanda has been a professional freelance writer for over a decade, holding both a BA and an MA. Her passions include animals, iced coffee, gnomes, summer, music, and ‘Vanderpump Rules’.
