DA: Gwinnett brothers plotted explosion to kill parents before attack
Christopher and Cameron Ervin had not planned on beating and stabbing their parents, at least not initially, Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter said.
They did so only after failing in their first attempt to kill Zachary and Yvonne Ervin failed, Porter said.
The brothers had drugged their parents with Xanax last Friday night, according to prosecutors. After cutting a gas line, they lit a candle and left it in the fireplace, waiting outside two hours for an explosion that never happened.
Then, they went back into the family’s Snellville home, beating their mother with a rifle. The arrest warrant for Cameron Ervin, 17, said he repeatedly stabbed his father, aided by Christopher, 22.
The brothers hinted at motive, telling investigators about a “bad home life,” said Porter, adding that no such evidence has surfaced.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
