Son of woman strangled, burned with husband in July charged in deaths

ATLANTA — Nearly six months after a husband and wife were strangled and left in a burning Atlanta home, the woman's son has been arrested and charged with murder.

Keith Sylvester, 47, was arrested Saturday and taken to the Fulton County Jail, Atlanta police confirmed.

He was charged with two counts of murder in connection with the brutal July 3 deaths of Harry and Deborah Hubbard, a couple in their 60s who lived in a home on Harvel Drive in northwest Atlanta.

Authorities said at the time they believe the Hubbards were strangled to death before the fire. They were found badly burned and covered in debris.

“That morning when it happened he didn’t show any remorse or anything,” said one neighbor, who didn’t want to be identified. “I had suspicions, I did, yes.”

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Sylvester's brother said he also had suspicious from day one, but other family members didn't want to believe it. Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach spoke with them in New York by phone.

Detectives didn't give them a possible motive or reason for the arrest now, but did say that Sylvester placed himself at the house at the time.

In July, Gehlbach talked to Sylvester at the home. He told us he was at the home around 3 a.m. and everything was fine. He said he was then called back to the home by neighbors who told him the house was on fire.

Sylvester communicated with Gehlbach over the next couple weeks by phone and text. He said he wanted to catch the killer and even set up an interview at the house, but each time he canceled.

Sylvester will stay behind bars at the Fulton County Jail.

Neighbors say they're shocked but relieved.

"Happy someone was brought to justice for the crime," a neighbor said.

Cox Media Group