Henry County District Attorney Darius Pattillo said Tuesday he will seek the death penalty against two men charged with shooting to death four people at a home in a rural part of the county.
A first hearing was set for Tuesday morning for Jacob Cole Kosky and Matthew Baker Jr. but was rescheduled for April 11 at 1:30 p.n. to allow time for Baker to find another attorney. Baker’s attorney withdrew Monday because he does not handle death penalty cases.
Pattillo told a packed courtroom Tuesday that “the state is going to serve him today .(with plans) to seek the death penalty.” Pattillo told Judge Archer McGarity that he had filed his intention in court Monday. Baker was brought into the courtroom in shackles. Patillo served Baker papers that informed him that the state is seeking the death penalty as Baker’s parents looked on from the back of the courtroom. Baker’s attorney recently withdrew from the case.
Kosky, who has an attorney, did not appear in court.
The pair were indicted in January on multiple charges. Kosky, 23, was indicted on four counts of malice murder, eight counts of felony murder, four counts of aggravated assault, one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of felony theft by taking.
Baker, 19, was indicted on four counts of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, four counts of aggravated assault, and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
On Oct. 26, the two men attended a bonfire and gathering at a home on Moccasin Gap Road in south Henry. The pair left the home at one point during the party. They returned with guns and allegedly began firing Four people were shot.
Three people were found dead inside the home in the early hours of Oct. 27. The dead were Matthew Hicks, 18; Keith Gibson, 29 and Sophia Bullard, 20. The fourth victim, 20-year-old Destiny Olinger was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital where she died two days later.
Three other people at the party were charged with misdemeanor obstruction: Jacob Williams, 18, of McDonough, Kayla Head, 21, of McDonough and Brooke Knight, 19, of Locust Grove - were charged with misdemeanor obstruction for accused of not cooperating with police.
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