He joked that his murder trial was “fun” and he enjoyed being the “guest of honor” during the trial, according to the Newton County district attorney.
But the verdict was no laughing matter. In just over a half-hour, jurors convicted Marques Smith of the murders of Craig and Desiree Thomas, DA Randy McGinley said Thursday. After the four-day trial, Smith was convicted of two counts each of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, plus cruelty to children and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On Sept. 11, 2022, Craig and Desiree went to Smith’s home on Pebble Lane, a few miles outside of Covington, to exchange custody of children Desiree and Smith shared from a prior relationship, according to investigators. While the Thomases were still in the car with Desiree’s teenage daughter, Smith got a gun from his own vehicle.
“He returned to the victims’ vehicle where he shot and killed Craig and Desiree in front of his own daughter,” the DA’s office said in a statement. “The defendant then fled the scene.”
The teen was not injured. Both Desiree, 33, and Craig, 29, died at the scene, police said following the shooting. The two had been married on March 1, 2022, according to his obituary. Desiree is survived by three children and Craig had one, their obituaries state.
Smith later arranged to turn himself in, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office said in the hours after the shooting.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Smith had reached out to a family member before the shooting attempting to get a gun. Jurors also heard about Smith’s 2017 aggravated battery conviction in Rockdale County for violence against Desiree, the DA’s office said.
During the trial, Smith made phone calls to family members, which were played for the jury. He said he wanted to laugh when he saw a photo from his 2017 case, McGinley said.
Sentencing will be held at a later date.
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