Atlanta Man Arrested After Killing His Mother, Step-Father, and Cousin During Domestic Dispute

As neighbors uncover the terrible connection between the suspect and the victims, three individuals have been found dead inside a house.

Following their discovery on Tuesday, shot dead in the suspected murderer's house, the Atlanta man was detained and charged with killing his mother, step-father, and cousin, according to Cobb County police.

3 Georgia Relatives Found Dead in Atlanta Home

Investigators think that the suspected killer, 32-year-old Marcus Smith, and his mother Janice Peaks, 60, stepfather Donnell Peaks, 63, and cousin Cameron King, 38, were involved in a domestic argument that led to the shooting.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, police responded to a call at 12:30 p.m., on Tuesday and discovered three victims with gunshot wounds. Cobb County police spokeswoman Wayne Delk confirmed that Donnell and Janice Peaks died at the site.

King died shortly after being admitted to a local hospital. According to the arrest warrant, Donnell was shot in the head and legs, while Janice and King were both shot in the head. Smith was apprehended by police on Tuesday near his residence. Although it is unclear if the victims lived with Smith, prison records suggest that the shooting occurred in the suspected shooter's residence.

It's also unclear what the apparent domestic conflict was over. Delk stated that Smith is being detained without bond and that there are no other suspects.

Donnell Peaks was shot in the head and legs, according to the arrest warrant. Both his wife and King were shot in the head. Delk stated that King and Smith were perhaps first or second cousins. It was unclear whether all three victims resided with Smith, however, his principal residence is listed as Gardner Street, The Sun reported.

Recent Similar Crime in Georgia

According to the Macon Telegraph, a Georgia man suspected of murdering his mother and stepfather laid a Darth Vader figure on one of the victims. That was just one of the strange elements discovered during the trial, which began this week in Macon.

Anthony Douglas Shoffner Jr., 27, is suspected of fatally murdering his mother, Rebecca Griffin, 46, and stepfather, Kenneth Griffin, 42, on March 10, 2020, in Perry. He was residing with the couple at the time they were murdered.

Shoffner was a former correctional officer at a Macon County state prison who had already spent time for his role in a methamphetamine network within the jail. He was freed in 2019 after moving in with the Griffins, according to the Telegraph..

Kenneth Griffin's body was discovered wrapped in a blanket, holding a Darth Vader toy, a coffee mug, and a solitary cowboy boot. Prosecutor Eric Edwards explained the strange display.

A mistrial was declared by the court on Wednesday when the material that was meant to be suppressed was found in a video. Shoffner will be retried in the following weeks, WSBTV reported.