Trial set for Gwinnett brothers accused of trying to kill parents

Christopher and Cameron Ervin.(Credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff s Office)

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

Christopher and Cameron Ervin.(Credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff s Office)

The trial of two Gwinnett brothers accused of attempting to kill their parents is set begin next week.

The Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office announced Friday that the trial — in which Cameron and Christopher Ervin will face charges including aggravated assault, kidnapping and attempted arson — had been scheduled to begin Monday.

The case is an intriguing one for many reasons — foremost among them the willingness of Yvonne and Zach Ervin to forgive their sons.

Police believe that, on Sept. 5, 2015, then-17-year-old Cameron and 22-year-old Christopher served their parents Xanax-spiked cocktails at the family's home near Snellville. They then cut a gas line and attempted to blow the house up, authorities have said, before going back in to beat their mother with a rifle and stab their father.

Yvonne Ervin was eventually able to call 911, and Gwinnett County police arrived to arrest her sons.

Zach and Yvonne Ervin (via fightingforforgiveness.org)

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A possible motive for the attack has remained unclear. Less than a month afterward, however, Yvonne and Zach Ervin appeared on "Good Morning America" and called the incident "one bad moment."

On Jan. 2, Yvonne Ervin wrote a letter to a Gwinnett County judge asking for her sons to be released from jail.

The parents have also launched a nonprofit foundation called "Fighting for Forgiveness," which is "committed to assisting those who are experiencing depression, thoughts of suicide and trauma by giving them access to counseling, peer mentorship and medical attention," according to its website.

"Fighting For Forgiveness, Inc. was founded as a result of a traumatic family event in September of 2015," the website says. "It gave us personal insight into the world of depression and how detrimental it can be when it goes undetected. God gave us the strength to forgive so that we could move forward with His plans for our lives."

In total, Cameron and Christopher Ervin are facing 13 felonies apiece.

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