A custody exchange in Covington, Georgia, ended in a deadly shooting on Sunday, September 11, 2022. Craig Joshua Thomas, 29, and his wife Desiree Cash Thomas, 33, were shot while seated in their vehicle at the Pebble Lane home of Desiree’s former partner, 34-year-old Marquez Smith, after Desiree’s 15-year-old daughter refused to go with her father. The couple attempted to flee but crashed into a mailbox; Craig was pronounced dead at the scene and Desiree died in an ambulance en route to the hospital. The teen witnessed the attack.

Marquez Smith fled but later contacted the Newton County Sheriff and arranged to surrender around midnight. He was arrested and charged with two counts of murder, aggravated assault, cruelty to children, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Records indicate Smith had a 2017 conviction for aggravated battery against Desiree. Craig Joshua Thomas worked as a forklift driver and manager, provided a home for his mother, brothers, wife, and stepdaughters, and was a father to a son.

Are there readers who knew Craig or Desiree or who have information about the shooting?