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Arraignment delayed, again, for man accused of killing Acworth couple

Justin Hicks, 31, and Amber Hicks, 31, were found shot to death. Their child, Jacob, was also found inside the home around 12 hours later, according to police.

ACWORTH, Ga. — An arraignment for a man accused of killing a young Acworth couple was delayed once again. 

Matthew Lanz was charged with two counts of malice murder after Justin Hicks, 31, and Amber Hicks, 31, were found shot to death in their Acworth home in November of 2021.

Lanz's arraignment was initially scheduled for Oct. 4, 2022, but was rescheduled due to a conflict. It is not known why this arraignment, scheduled for Jan. 9, was rescheduled.

The couple's child, Jacob, was rescued by police inside the home. He was not harmed, but was left alone without care of food for around 12 hours, according to police. 

For that, Lanz was additionally charged with one count of cruelty to children in the second degree. He was also charged with tampering with evidence after investigators said shell casing were taken from scene. 

Following the couple's murder, Lanz was also accused of breaking into a second home and stabbing a Sandy Springs officer. That officer did survive. 

Officers were initially unaware that Lanz was the man believed to have killed the Hicks when they encountered him that day. 

In addition to the two counts of malice murder, one count of tampering with evidence and and one count of child cruelty, Lanz was also charged with:

  • four counts of felony murder
  • one count of home invasion
  • two counts of aggravated assault
  • two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony

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