A Cobb County judge has found Matthew Scott Lanz guilty on all charges in the 2021 murders of his neighbors, Justin and Amber Hicks, bringing an end to a harrowing bench trial that examined violence, mental health, and years of escalating behavior within the Lanz family.
Sentencing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, when prosecutors, defense attorneys, and the Hicks family are expected to deliver statements before punishment is imposed.
Verdict Reached After Days of Testimony
The ruling came Thursday afternoon after three days of testimony detailing the brutal killings inside the Hicks’ Acworth home.
Prosecutors argued that Lanz used his own gun to shoot the couple, pointing to DNA evidence, firearm analysis, and surveillance footage that showed him near the property on the night of the murders.
Justin, a firefighter with Cherokee County for more than six years, and Amber, an audiology assistant, were found dead inside their home in November 2021. Their 2-year-old son, Jacob, was discovered alone the next morning, wearing pajamas soaked with his parents’ blood. Investigators testified that the toddler appeared to be trying to interact with his parents, not understanding they were gone.
Lanz lived behind the Hicks’ home and shared a fence line with them. Authorities say he entered their house overnight and shot the couple before leaving their child behind.
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What the Trial Revealed
The bench trial, which began Monday, included emotional testimony from first responders and family members. Justin’s father, a former police officer, recounted arriving at the home when no one could reach his son or Amber and immediately recognizing the grim reality through a shattered window.
Prosecutors played surveillance video showing a figure they say was Lanz circling the Hicks’ home hours before the murders. They also presented forensic evidence that linked his DNA — and the victims’ — to the firearm used in the shootings.
The defense argued Lanz suffered from severe mental illness and believed he had been targeted by government agencies such as the CIA and FBI.
His parents testified in a police interview played in court that he had been hearing voices, seeing things, and exhibiting alarming behavior. They also told investigators they had recently removed a gun from his apartment because of growing concerns following another tragedy in their family: Lanz’s brother, Austin, had fatally stabbed a Pentagon police officer months earlier before killing himself.
A judge previously ruled Lanz mentally competent to stand trial.
Violence After the Murders
The day after Justin and Amber were killed, Lanz was accused of breaking into a home in Sandy Springs and stabbing a police officer. During the encounter, another officer shot and wounded him. That incident further tied Lanz to the Hicks case and raised urgent questions about his mental state and potential for ongoing violence.
Sentencing Ahead
With the guilty verdict delivered, attention now turns to Friday’s sentencing hearing. Both sides will present arguments and the court will hear victim impact statements describing the toll the murders took on the Hicks family and their extended community.
