A trio lured two men to a Gwinnett County apartment, killing one of them and injuring the other.
Four years later, the final suspect charged in the attacks pleaded guilty Wednesday to four counts of murder.
Russell Williams also pleaded guilty to armed robbery, three counts of aggravated battery, four counts of aggravated assault and criminal attempt to commit armed robbery. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Williams’ girlfriend Glenda Carter and his brother Zarius Williams were his accomplices in the incidents, the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office said. They pleaded guilty in May 2019 to the same charges and were sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
In December 2018, Carter and one victim, 32-year-old Marcos Guerra-Lopez, arranged to meet at Leland Place Apartments along Cruse Road after texting online via a dating app, officials said. Guerra-Lopez was taken to the complex by two friends and met Carter there.
“Sometime later, the victim’s friends received messages from the victim’s cellphone telling them they needed to come get their friend because he was going to die,” the DA’s office said.
The friends began to frantically search for Guerra-Lopez, who authorities said was found near a playground at the complex. He was bleeding from the head and his wallet and phone were missing.
Guerra-Lopez died two days later at a hospital from blunt force trauma, according to officials.
Less than 24 hours after Guerra-Lopez died, another man was lured to the same apartment complex by Carter, the DA’s office said. The two also had been talking on a dating app.
When the victim arrived, he was taken to an apartment by Zarius Williams while Russell Williams hid in a closet. Officials said Zarius Williams was armed with a baseball bat and Russell Williams had a knife.
The brothers began beating the victim and looking for his wallet, the DA said. When they couldn’t find it, they took his cellphone instead.
The victim was able to fight off the duo and run to his car and drive away. According to authorities, he had to have surgery for two broken arms, a severe laceration to his hand and a fracture to his head.
“Realizing the incidents were likely related, detectives began to piece together that the apartment had previously been rented by defendant Russell Williams and co-defendant Glenda Carter who were in the process of being evicted,” the DA’s office said.
Gwinnett police officers were able to find Russell Williams and Carter on social media and set up a meeting to purchase items they had put up for sale. Upon arrival, the two were detained, and a bloody bat, knife and Guerra-Lopez’s wallet were found in the backseat of the vehicle they drove to the meeting, officials said.
Credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office
Police were able to execute a search warrant at a motel where the couple were staying. There, they found Zarius Williams, along with the second victim’s cellphone.
“The three were interviewed and all made statements indicating their involvement in the murder of Marcos (Guerra-Lopez) and the assault and armed robbery of the second victim,” the DA’s office confirmed.
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