13-count indictment handed up against man accused of killing firefighter, wife in Cobb County home

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County grand jury has returned a 13-count indictment against the suspect charged with killing a Cherokee County firefighter and his wife inside their home in November.

There are multiple charges, including felony murder and cruelty to a child.

This indictment comes just 48 hours after Sandy Springs police released body camera footage showing the moment police say the suspect attacked an officer with a knife.

The body camera video shows Sandy Springs police responding to reports of a home invasion.

“The suspect pulled out a long hunting knife that was not able to be seen initially, and when we tried to take suspect in custody, he started stabbing one of our officers,” said Sandy Springs Maj. Benjie Cain.

The accused attacker, Matthew Lanz, is the suspect police said was shown on the video, just two days after beginning a deadly crime spree that started in Acworth and ended in Sandy Springs.

RELATED STORIES:

• New body camera video shows moments before accused murderer stabbed Sandy Springs officer
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• Brother of accused killer of Cherokee firefighter, wife also had troubled past
• Suspect spotted in garage at nearby home moments before stabbing officer, police say

Police believe the 22-year-old was attempting to kill the Sandy Springs officer.

“The officer was ultimately stabbed six times. One of the wounds the officer received was directly in the back of his neck. It barely missed his brain,” Cain said.

On Thursday, a Cobb County grand jury returned a 13-count criminal indictment against Lanz with felony charges ranging from murder to cruelty to a child in another case.

Investigators say on Nov. 17, Lanz broke into the Acworth home of beloved Cherokee County firefighter Justin Hicks and his wife, Amber Hicks, where he shot and killed the couple.

Their 2-year-old son was found unharmed in the home.

The injured Sandy Springs police officer has recovered and has returned to work.

Seiden contacted the attorney representing the Hicks family on Friday. They told him they are aware of the indictment, but at this time they haven’t issued a response.

RELATED NEWS:

Body camera video shows moments before accused murderer stabbed Sandy Springs police officer The suspect, Matthew Lanz, would later be arrested on charges that he murdered the couple who lived next door to his Acworth home days earlier.

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