DA announces plan to seek death penalty in couple's execution-style murders

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Friday, District Attorney Paul Howard announced a big decision to seek the death penalty for the two men accused of kidnapping and murdering a man and his pregnant fiance.

Channel 2 Action  News learned the suspects were accused of a combined seven killings.

Families present for the announcement told Channel 2’s Kerry Kavanaugh they were shocked to see how many lives were impacted by just two suspects.

"I’m going (to) hope that justice will do what's necessary because obviously it failed us before; they got out,” said Beverly Fowler, godmother to victim Briana Brooks.

The families stood united with Atlanta investigators who helped put two murder suspects back behind bars.

Friday, a grand jury handed up a 30-count indictment of Andre Gay and Richard Wilson.

"We will continue to do the job we need to do to make sure they are never released again,” said Atlanta Detective

"My daughter was seven months pregnant, handcuffed on her knees with a bullet in her head, gasping for air to save her baby,” said Brooks’ mother Sadria Strong. "They can't be released again."

Strong’s daughter and her fiance Jeronta Brown were expecting their third child.

Police say Gay and Wilson kidnapped and shot them when ransom demands weren't met.

Strong was alongside the families of six other victims. Prosecutors say combined, Gay and Wilson are responsible for all of them.

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said both Gay and Wilson have served time for prior murders. Gay, who was sentenced to life, was just paroled in January, but victims’ families were never notified.

"I believe that the parole board should personally notify the family members,” said Howard.

Howard thinks that should happen within 60 days.

Howard said he was shocked to learn what the state means by "electronic monitoring" of parolees.

"That does not mean they will wear ankle bracelets and it doesn’t mean that -- the monitoring doesn’t go on during the entire time that they are on parole,” Howard said.

"Overwhelming that so many families are affected by two individuals who really don't care for life,” Strong said.

Kavanaugh contacted the state parole board to get their reaction to these criticisms. A spokesperson emailed the following statement:

"The Parole Board recently met with DA Paul Howard to discuss the Andre Gay case and Mr. Howard shared information with the Board.

"Prior to this case, the Parole Board has been working on determining how additional notifications may be made to victims and law enforcement regarding board decisions and how new notifications above those that are statutorily required, can possibly be implemented.

"The Parole Board’s supervision of offenders on parole in the community is consistently under review to ensure those on parole are in compliance with their supervision.

"The Parole Board is committed to public safety and will continue to make supervision of offenders its number one priority."