Atlanta police said Wednesday they believe ransom was the motive for the kidnapping a DeKalb County couple later shot in their heads and killed a week and a half ago.
Capt. Paul Guerrucci, commander of the Atlanta Police Department’s homicide unit, said detectives are following up on some “viable” leads but they also need the public’s help.
Police said family and friends had pooled their money so a $20,000 reward for information that helps solve the crimes.
“This incident is horrible because we have two innocent people who were violently killed,” Guerrucci said at a Wednesday press briefing.
Briana Brooks, 21, and her boyfriend Jeronta Brown, 24, were kidnapped early Aug. 30 outside their home after a late night dinner. Before they got to the front door of the house on Colleen Court at least two armed men, claiming to be FBI agents, grabbed them, handcuffed them and threw them into an SUV that sped off early Aug. 30.
In the hours after the couple was taken, a $150,000 ransom call was made.
But later that day, both were found 17 miles away on Ridge Avenue in northwest Atlanta, both shot in the head.
Brown was already dead. Brooks was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital where she was put on life support and then delivered the couple’s second child, two months premature. Brooks was taken off life support on Friday.
Police believe the couple was targeted.
Guerrucci said investigators are not sure how many people were involved but there were at least two men. He also said anyone who helped — such as by driving the SUV or placing the ransom call — would be charged as well as the ones who actually committed the kidnapping and homicides. He said that applied to anyone involved “before, during or after” the kidnappings and shootings.
At the same time, Guerrucci would not say if Brown’s and Brooks’ kidnappings were related to a similar incident involving a woman in East Atlanta last week. That woman was taken into a van by men who identified themselves as law enforcement but was released some hours later. There also was a ransom call, police said.
Anyone with information should call APD detective K. Leonpacher at 404-546-5553 or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477). Tipsters can be anonymous and still get the reward if the information leads to an arrest and conviction.
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