Multi-county crime spree suspect appears in court

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A woman accused of a series of violent crimes, including murder, hit and run, two carjackings and armed robbery appeared before a judge in Cobb County Thursday morning. 

Police said 43-year-old Kristie Nesby's crime spree started early Wednesday morning near the junction of Interstate 75 and Interstate 575 where she was involved in a hit and run with another vehicle. Officers said Nesby left that scene and headed toward Marietta. That is where Cobb County Police said she intentionally swerved off of Cobb Parkway, striking a woman walking on the side near Bells Ferry Road. The woman died from her injuries. Her name has not yet been released.

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Investigators said Nesby then left her vehicle along Cobb Parkway, carjacked a nearby driver possibly at gunpoint and continued about two miles up the road to Interstate 75 at Canton Road where she allegedly carjacked another motorist also possibly at gunpoint.

Nesby then drove to Atlanta. She was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Ponce De Leon Avenue when she crashed into a fence near Frederica Street, according to police. Investigators also said multiple vehicles were hit on Ponce De Leon before she wrecked.

State contractor Wayne Mote said he found Nesby dazed and walking in the middle of Ponce De Leon Avenue.

"I thought 'well, she's really going to get hurt' so I took off running and caught up with her and tried to engage her again and calm her down. She was upset. I said ‘ma’am, were you in a wreck?’ and she just kept saying ‘They are trying to kill me,’” said Mote.

Police said Nesby eventually tried to run away from law enforcement who arrived at the scene, but was finally captured after a brief chase. Police said she appeared to be coherent at the time, but they will be performing a toxicology screen on her to see if she was under the influence of any substance during her multi-county crime spree.

Officers said they recovered a weapon from the car she crashed on Ponce De Leon Avenue.

Cobb County Police took out warrants for Nesby for felony murder, aggravated assault, vehicular homicide, reckless driving, hit and run and failure to maintain lane. Warrants were taken out by Marietta Police for two counts each of aggravated assault, armed robbery and motor vehicle hijacking charges. She was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center where she is being held without bond.

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Nesby's first appearance was at the Cobb County jail and during the hearing she heard the judge read out the long list of charges she's facing. 

The suspect told the judge she doesn't feel safe in her current housing situation at the jail, describing it as "cruel and inhumane." Nesby said she's being questioned by staffers and inmates about what happened. 

She also said she's working on trying to get her own lawyer. 

Nesby's next appearance is tentatively scheduled for May 31 at 1 p.m. in superior court. She's not being offered any kind of bond right now due to the serious nature of the charges she's facing. 

According to jail records, Nesby lives in Fresno, Texas, a town just southwest of Houston, but was born in Georgia.