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Tracking data allowed in spa shooting court case
A Fulton County judge ruled that police legally used a tracking app provided by Robert Aaron Long's parents to capture the 2021 Atlanta spa shooting suspect.
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - In a Fulton County courtroom, a judge ruled that police were within their rights to use a tracking app to locate the man accused in the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings.
What we know:
Robert Aaron Long sat at attention as his defense team squared off against prosecutors before Chief Judge Ural Glanville. The defense sought to have key evidence suppressed, arguing that Long’s privacy was violated when his parents used a location-sharing app to help police track him down.
Judge Glanville disagreed, allowing the evidence to stand.
The hearing provided a rare glimpse into the moments following the 2021 attacks. After the shootings began, Long’s parents recognized their son from surveillance images and contacted authorities. They provided police with access to a tracking app on their son's phone, which led officers to his location as he headed south toward Florida.
Defense attorneys argued that this digital trail constituted an illegal invasion of privacy. However, the ruling ensures that the details of his capture will remain a central part of the case.
The backstory:
Long is accused of killing eight people across two counties. He has already pleaded guilty to four murders in Cherokee County and is serving a life sentence there.
In Fulton County, he faces 19 charges, including four counts of murder. Unlike the Cherokee County case, Fulton County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Because this is a capital case, every piece of evidence—from the tracking app to police affidavits—is being meticulously litigated.
What's next:
Defense attorneys signaled that more motions are expected as the trial date approaches.
The Source: This is a FOX 5 original report by Kevyn Stewart who was in the courtroom during the hearing.