A Newton County jury found Danetta Knoblauch of the murder of Melvin Cooksey after a week-long trial.
Paralyzed Newton County man goes missing
The investigation began in late February 2023 with the highly publicized missing person report involving Melvin Cooksey, a partially paralyzed man who was dependent on family and nursing staff to help him through his day.
On February 23, 2023, Newton County deputies and firefighters responded to a fire in a residence on Mote Road. Fire investigators discovered that the fire had been intentionally set and propane tanks had been spread throughout the house. At the time, witnesses told deputies they saw a white hatchback vehicle leaving the scene shortly before the fire.
In May of 2023, a couple hiking through the mountains in Fannin County, located a human skull. Law enforcement responded to the area and found a pacemaker. The pacemaker’s serial number matched to Cooksey.
Woman arrested in missing paralyzed man’s murder
Witness statements, social media records, phone records, and FLOCK (license plate reader) camera records led the investigation to identify Knoblauch. Investigators then discovered that she was wanted for attacking another man with a sledgehammer and screwdriver in Kansas. Also in May 2023, Knoblauch was tracked to East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After a lengthy standoff there with local and state police, Knoblauch, who also had her child with her during the standoff, was arrested on the Kansas warrants.
Investigators from Georgia were present during the standoff and interviewed Knoblauch. Her child was forensically interviewed by a local child advocacy center. Both interviews provided incriminating information to law enforcement. Knoblauch was extradited to Georgia and booked into the Newton County jail on July 4, 2023.
Newton County Grand Jury then indicted her for Cooksey’s murder and other charges on August 4, 2023. The case proceeded with numerous pretrial hearings before trial started last week. During the trial, the State presented 25 witnesses and approximately 750 pieces of evidence. This included extensive mapping of her movements with evidence from cell phone tower records of her phones and Cooksey’s phone, FLOCK camera records, and location data from CashApp. A forensic anthropologist testified about injuries to Cooksey’s skull.
Extensive crime scene testimony and evidence, as well as GBI crime lab witnesses presenting DNA evidence, implicated the Defendant in Cooksey’s death. Text messages, social media messages, interviews, and body camera footage from Louisiana and Kansas were also presented to the jury.
Knoblauch was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, arson in the first degree and concealing the death of another.
She will be sentenced on December 10, 2025.
