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Grantville gun range murder trial: Jacob Muse accused of gunning down 3 family members

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  December 10, 2024 8:41pm EST
Coweta County
FOX 5 Atlanta
Jacob Christian Muse, 21, of College Park article

Jacob Christian Muse (Provided by Coweta County Sheriff's Office)

The Brief

    • Jacob Christopher Muse's trial for the 2022 murder of three family members at a Grantville gun range began on Monday in Coweta County.
    • Muse faces multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and battery, firearm possession during a felony, and armed robbery.
    • The victims of the robbery, which took place at Lock, Stock & Barrel Shooting Range, were the elderly owners and their grandson; four dozen firearms were stolen and later found at Muse's home.
    • Evidence suggesting Muse was at the scene during the robbery was presented, including testimony about his car being spotted nearby.
    • The defense argued that the investigation was too focused on Muse from the start, neglecting other possible leads.

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - The trial of Jacob Christopher Muse, who is accused of murdering three family members at a Grantville gun range in 2022, began on Monday in Coweta County. 

Muse, 23, faces charges that include three counts of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault, three counts of aggravated battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and armed robbery.

Jacob Muse accused in deadly armed robbery

Prosecutors allege that Muse was the gunman who attempted to rob the Lock, Stock & Barrel Shooting Range along Bohannon Road on April 8, 2022, after the business had closed. The robbery resulted in the deaths of three family members. The victims were Tommy Hawk, the 75-year-old owner of the shooting range, his wife Evelyn, 75, and their 18-year-old grandson Luke, all of whom were found shot multiple times.

Nearly four dozen firearms were stolen. Investigators say those were later recovered at Muse's College Park residence.

Tommy and Evelyn Hawk and their grandson Luke.

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Grantville gun range murder trial

Testimony in Muse's trial began this week. Prosecutors provided evidence suggesting that Muse was at the crime scene during the deadly robbery. Additionally, a witness reported seeing Muse's car nearby.

Muse was known to have previously lived in Grantville and had been a patron of the gun range, where he purchased a weapon and spent time at the family-owned facility.

The Newnan Times-Herald reported that Muse’s ex-girlfriend was called to testify.

The defense, during the opening statement, proposed that the investigators prematurely focused their attention solely on Muse without adequately pursuing other leads.

The trial is anticipated to continue throughout the week.

The Source: This story used court records from the Cowea County Superior Court and court proceedings. The Newnan Times-Herald also provided details about the ex-girlfriend testifying. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports were also used with the links to each in the above article.

Coweta CountyNewsCrime and Public Safety