Newton County woman gets life sentence in murder of paralyzed man
Danetta Ann Knoblauch (Netwon County Sheriff's Office)
NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. - Danetta Ann Knoblauch, the woman found guilty of murdering and concealing the death of a paralyzed Newton County man will spend the rest of her life behind bars.
Search for Melvin Cooksey
The backstory:
The investigation began in late February 2023 with the highly publicized missing person report involving Melvin Cooksey, a partially paralyzed man who was dependent on family and nursing staff for daily care.
Melvin Cooksey
Danetta Ann Knoblauch arrested, convicted
Timeline:
On February 23, 2023, Newton County deputies and firefighters responded to a fire at a residence on Mote Road. Fire investigators determined the blaze had been intentionally set and found propane tanks placed throughout the house. Witnesses told deputies they saw a white hatchback leaving the scene shortly before the fire.
In May 2023, a couple hiking in the mountains of Fannin County found a human skull. Law enforcement searched the area and recovered a pacemaker whose serial number matched Cooksey.
Witness statements, social media information, phone records and Flock license plate reader data led investigators to identify Danetta Knoblauch as a suspect. They later learned she was wanted in Kansas for attacking another man with a sledgehammer and screwdriver. Also in May 2023, Knoblauch was tracked to East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After a lengthy standoff with local and state police, she was arrested on the Kansas warrants. Her child was with her during the standoff.
Georgia investigators were present and interviewed Knoblauch at the scene. Her child was also forensically interviewed at a local child advocacy center. Both interviews provided incriminating information to law enforcement. Knoblauch was extradited to Georgia and booked into the Newton County jail on July 4, 2023.
A Newton County grand jury indicted her on August 4, 2023, on charges including Cooksey’s murder. The case proceeded with numerous pretrial hearings before the trial began last week. During the trial, the state presented 25 witnesses and about 750 pieces of evidence. This included detailed mapping of her movements using cellphone tower data from her phone and Knoblauch’s phone, Flock camera records and CashApp location data.
She was found guilty by a Newton County jury of felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, first degree arson and concealing the death of another.
Knoblauch's sentence
What's next:
On Wednesday, she was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Source: The Newton County Sheriff's Office and Newton County Districtg Attorney's Office provided the details for this article. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was also used.