Since a tragic Friday evening in 2022, a Coweta County family has relied on faith to guide them through their deepest pain.
That was the night three members of the Hawk family were shot to death inside their gun shop and range. County Coroner Richard Hawk was the one who made the heartbreaking discovery that his parents and his teenage son had been killed.
On Monday, the man accused of the killings, Jacob Christian Muse, was convicted of murder and numerous other charges and was sentenced to life in prison.
“There is no motive or reason that will ever bring us closure, but in the last two years, God has shown us his grace and sustained us,” the Hawk family told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We have trusted him to continue guiding us as we were seeking justice, knowing he would have the final say. And he did.”
The jury took less than two hours to convict 23-year-old Muse of three counts each of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery, plus armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
After the verdict, Muse’s defense team requested a life sentence with the possibility of parole. But District Attorney Herb Cranford told the court that Muse should spend the rest of his life in prison.
“This is a heinous crime with no feasible justification other than pure selfishness and evil, and he deserves to die in prison,” Cranford said. “The maximum possible sentence is better than he deserves, but I ask the court to give the maximum sentence on each count, all consecutive.”
Judge Travis Sakrison sentenced Muse to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional life sentence and 15 years to be served consecutively.
Muse was arrested the day after a joint funeral was held for Evelyn Hawk and her husband Tommy, both 75, and their 18-year-old grandson, Luke. Muse had been a customer at their gun shop, investigators said.
Credit: Coweta County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Coweta County Sheriff's Office
“Pray for us,” said Richard Hawk, who spoke briefly at the end of the funeral before leading the final worship song. “At the same time, pray for whoever did this, that law enforcement, when they find them, if they’re not in a firefight and they don’t kill them, that God will give me and my pastor an opportunity to go and preach to them and tell them who God is. They obviously don’t know.”
The shootings at the Lock Stock & Barrel gun range shocked the small town of Grantville — the first homicides there in more than 20 years. The GBI was called in to assist with the investigation, along with the ATF because more than 40 weapons had been stolen. Evidence during the trial showed the stolen weapons were found in Muse’s apartment.
In the days after the killings, the Hawk family publicly shared that they were leaning on faith in their time of grief.
“It’s changed the family forever,” Shelby Wright-Whitlock, family spokesperson and Luke’s aunt, said a year after the deaths. “We are celebrating Easter this year, but we’re celebrating it differently.”
Tommy Hawk worked for 30 years at Ford Motor Company before retiring to open his gun business, according to his online obituary. Evelyn played piano at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Newnan and sang with the choir when she wasn’t working alongside her husband.
Credit: Branden Camp
Credit: Branden Camp
An East Coweta High School senior, Luke was in a work-study program that allowed him time to help his grandparents at the gun range. He had planned to attend Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. A scholarship fund was created at the Tifton college to honor him.
Mason Dewberry, a 2022 graduate of Newnan High School, was named the first recipient of the “Alexander ‘Luke’ Hawk Memorial Scholarship Endowment” and presented the award by the slain teen’s parents.
On Tuesday, the family said donations to the scholarship fund are the best way to continue Luke’s legacy.
“Your contribution will not only help keep his spirit alive, but also make a lasting impact in our community,” the family said.
In addition to the scholarship, funds were donated to Coweta first responders in honor of Tommy Hawk. Money was donated to the Ronald McDonald House in honor of Evelyn Hawk.
“We obviously felt the love and prayers from our community,” the Hawk family said Tuesday. “Now we will focus on healing as a family.”
HOW TO HELP
For those wanting to support the Luke Hawk scholarship fund, contributions can be made to the ABAC Foundation and sent to the following address: ABAC 13, 2802 Moore Highway, Tifton, GA 31793. All gifts to the scholarship are tax deductible. For more information on supporting the scholarship, call 229-391-4907.
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