68-year-old beating victim dies of injuries

The 68-year-old victim of a violent Loganville home invasion died Tuesday afternoon from her injuries, police said.

Epsie Ewing had been in intensive care at Atlanta Medical Center since May 21, when she and her husband, C.F. Ewing, were beaten and robbed at their home on Covington Street, authorities said.

Although C.F. Ewing’s injuries were minor, Epsie Ewing was unable to recover from fractures to her face and arms, Loganville Police Chief Michael McHugh said.

“She wasn’t doing well when I spoke to Mr. Ewing yesterday evening,” McHugh said Tuesday.

McHugh questioned why the people who attacked the couple resorted to violence.

“It was violent far beyond any robbery we had seen before,” he said. “There was no reason we could see” to beat the couple.

Police said two of the three men charged in the attack inquired about buying C.F. Ewing’s truck as a ruse to get into the house, in the Walton County town near the Gwinnett County line. Once inside, they severely beat the couple before fleeing with C.F. Ewing’s wallet and a small amount of money, police said.

Murder charges will be added to the laundry list of offenses against the three men arrested in connection with the home invasion, McHugh said.

Monroe residents J.J. Blackwell, 18, and Corey Butler, 21, were arrested days after the attack and charged with armed robbery, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and kidnapping, and now murder. Barry Marquez Partee, 18, was later arrested and given the same charges as an accomplice, including the murder charge, authorities said.