A Cobb County jury has sentenced a Georgia man to three consecutive life sentences for the brutal 2021 murders of an Acworth couple whose young child was found at the scene.

Investigators say 22-year-old Matthew Scott Lanz entered the home of Justin and Amber Hicks through a rear door and fatally shot both victims. Their 2-year-old son was later discovered physically unharmed but covered in blood as he lay beside his parents.

Lanz was convicted on multiple charges, including two counts of malice murder and four counts of felony murder. Throughout the trial, Lanz claimed he believed he saw “demonic lights” inside the Hicks’ home. Despite those claims, investigators were unable to identify any clear motive for the attack.

Authorities also noted a troubling connection: Lanz’s brother, Austin Lanz, had previously broken into the same residence months earlier and later died by suicide after fatally stabbing a law enforcement officer in 2021.

While Lanz’s defense argued there was no trace evidence directly tying him to the killings, the judge ordered the maximum punishment—three life sentences, two of them without parole.

The couple’s deaths and the discovery of their toddler beside them left the community shaken, bringing a tragic end to a case marked by violence and unanswered questions.

This report was compiled using information gathered from law enforcement statements, official press releases, and publicly available news sources.

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