Editor’s note: The judge in the trial is now in recess for deliberations.

MARIETTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The bench trial for Matthew Scott Lanz concluded Thursday afternoon after a judge delivered her ruling on the case.

Lanz was arrested in 2021 for the murder of his neighbors, Justin and Amber Hicks, who were shot and killed in their Acworth home.

Justin was a Cherokee County firefighter for more than six years, while Amber was an audiology assistant. Lanz lived on property that shared a fence with the couple, according to police.

The couple’s 2-year-old son, Jacob, was asleep upstairs when the shooting happened. He was left unharmed but was alone in the house for hours.

During opening statements, prosecutors told the judge that evidence to be presented during the trial will show that it was Lanz’s gun used in this crime. His DNA was also found on the firearm, and surveillance video captured him walking around the Hicks’ home the night of the murder, according to prosecutors.

>> DAY 1 RECAP

>> DAY 2 RECAP

>> DAY 3 RECAP

Lanz’s defense attorney said his client believed he was “set up” by a government agency like the CIA or FBI.

The day after the couple was killed, Lanz was accused of stabbing a Sandy Springs police officer during a burglary. During that struggle, police said another officer shot Lanz, wounding him.

Copyright 2025 WANF. All rights reserved.