John Jefferson
Main, left to right: Craig Thomas and Desiree Thomas (Newton County DA’s Office). Inset: Marquez Smith (Newton County Sheriff’s Office).
A 35-year-old man in Georgia who said he had “fun” being the “guest of honor” during his own murder trial will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars for killing the mother of his child and her husband in front of his own daughter during a custody exchange.
A jury in Newton County took less than an hour to find Marquez Smith guilty on two counts of malice murder and two counts of felony murder in the 2022 fatal shootings of Craig Thomas and Desiree Thomas, authorities announced.
In addition to the murder convictions, Smith was also found guilty on two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of third-degree cruelty to children, first-degree cruelty to children, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Smith had a history of domestic violence against the victim and was convicted in 2017 of aggravated battery for an attack against Desiree Thomas in Rockdale County, Georgia.
According to a news release from the Newton County District Attorney’s Office, the victims at about 6:15 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2022, drove to Smith’s home at 60 Pebble Lane for a scheduled custody exchange of the children Desiree Thomas and Smith had together during their prior relationship.
The victims didn’t even get the change to get out of their car before Smith opened fire.
“While Desiree, Craig, and the Defendant’s and Desiree’s teenage daughter were still in the car, the Defendant went to his vehicle and retrieved a firearm,” the release states. “He returned to the victims’ vehicle where he shot and killed Craig and Desiree in front of his own daughter. The Defendant then fled the scene.”
A spokesperson for the Newton County Sheriff’s Office previously told The Covington News that when the shooting started, the victims attempted to drive away from Smith but the vehicle crashed into a nearby mailbox. Craig Thomas was reportedly pronounced dead on the scene. Emergency medical personnel attempted to transport Desiree Thomas to a local hospital for treatment but she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead before arriving at the facility, per Covington News.
During the four-day trial, prosecutors showed jurors evidence that prior to the shooting, Smith contacted family members seeking access to a gun.
The most bizarre evidence presented to the jury came when prosecutors played audio records of phone calls Smith made after being in court.
“In those calls, the Defendant told family members that the trial was ‘fun,’ that he wanted to laugh when he saw a picture from the 2017 aggravated battery case, that he really missed his truck that was in a video that was played for the jury that showed what led up to the murders, and that he enjoyed being the ‘guest of honor’ during the trial,” the release states.
Smith’s sentencing hearing will be scheduled for an upcoming date.
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