Nearly two years after the bodies of Anthony and Catherine Costner were found inside their car, a jury convicted the man accused of shooting them in front of their daughter.
Roy Lee Hicks was convicted of 14 charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, cruelty to children, firearm possession and drug possession, Cobb County District Attorney spokeswoman Kim Isaza said.
MORE: Double homicide in Cobb: Toddler found safe in car with parents
MORE: Police ID suspects arrested in Powder Springs double killing
Two accomplices, Demarco Thomas and Raymond Ladell Webb, were also indicted in the case. Thomas remains in the Cobb County Detention Center on charges of concealing a death, hindering apprehension of a felon and conspiracy to violate the controlled substance act, according to jail records.
The status of Webb’s case is not known, but officials say he used his cell phone to set up a meeting so Hicks could sell roxycodone, a narcotic pain reliever, to the Costners. Thomas and Webb are also accused of taking Hicks, who was shot, to Atlanta Medical Center for treatment.
Police initially were called to a Powder Springs parking lot about 2 a.m. August 6, 2015 for what they thought was a single-car accident.
The Costners’ red 2000 Pontiac Grand Am was backed into a ditch and as police investigated they made a gruesome discovery: the couple had multiple gunshot wounds and their daughter was in the backseat miraculously unharmed.
Police later found out the couple intended to meet Hicks, who also goes by Roy Brown, for the drug deal.
MORE: Third arrest in killing of Cobb couple shot in front of 3-year-old
MORE: 3 indicted in deaths of Cobb couple shot in front of 3-year-old
Anthony was dead at the scene. Catherine later died at WellStart Kennestone Hosptial. At the time of their deaths relatives thought they were set up.
“I think someone had it in for her husband for some reason,” Catherine’s mother Cynthia Quinn told Channel 2 Action News at the time of the deadly shooting. “God bless the baby wasn’t hurt.”
Hicks’ sentencing is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
In other news:
About the Author
