Bond denied for DeKalb murder suspect in Memorial Drive shooting
Convict held without bond for Memorial Drive murder
A convicted felon who escaped prison in 2019 will remain behind bars without bond following his first court appearance for a deadly shooting outside a local tire shop.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A man accused of killing a person behind a DeKalb County tire shop will stay in jail for now after making his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon.
Marlowe Hawkins, 44, was denied bond as he faces multiple severe charges spanning three different criminal cases.
What we know:
DeKalb County police said the deadly shooting happened the morning of June 29 outside a Goodyear store in the 3500 block of Memorial Drive.
Hawkins is accused of killing 35-year-old Juan Gabriel Sanchez behind the business. Sanchez's loved ones are upset and feel the man accused of killing him should have been in jail a long time ago.
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A judge told Hawkins during his first appearance that his charges must be addressed by a Superior Court judge before bond can be considered. Hawkins is facing counts of malice murder, possession of a machine gun, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
"There aren't words to explain what we are going through because, for me, they took a huge part of my life," said Janet Duenas, the victim's mother.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not yet shared what specific evidence led investigators to identify Hawkins as the suspect or what motivated the gunfire behind the shop. It also remains unknown when his next appearance before a Superior Court judge will be scheduled to determine if a bond will eventually be granted.
Dig deeper:
In addition to the homicide case, Hawkins has two separate active cases against him. Those files include serious charges of rape, kidnapping, sodomy, and first-degree burglary.
The DeKalb County District Attorney's Office said the rape charges stem from an incident that happened in late December of last year. That took place during the very same month Hawkins was released from state prison after serving more than 20 years in state custody for convictions that included armed robbery.
Georgia records show Hawkins has a criminal history dating back to the late 1990s. He previously escaped from a Washington County prison in 2019 and attempted to escape from a Butts County prison a year later in 2020.
Hawkins was arrested this week. For the family of Sanchez, the extensive prison record only deepens their pain. "Honestly, I never thought that something like this would happen to one of my kids and I keep thinking that this is just a nightmare where I haven't been able to wake up," Duenas said.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from DeKalb County court records, the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office, and DeKalb County police data, as well as an interview conducted by reporter Annie Mapp with the victim's mother, Janet Duenas.