Man Murdered Ex-Wife, Her Boyfriend In Front Of Daughter Amid Tense Custody Exchange: Cops

A Georgia man is facing multiple charges for killing his ex-wife and the woman's boyfriend in front of his 15-year-old daughter. The fatal shootings happened in Covington amid a tense custody exchange that ensued after the teen refused to go with her father, police have said.

The suspect, Marquez Smith, was charged with murder and aggravated assault after he turned himself in Sunday night for the death of his ex-wife and her boyfriend, the New York Post reported.

The two victims were identified as Desiree Thomas, 33, and Craig Joshua Thomas, 29, according to WSBTV.

The tragic incident took place when Desiree and Craig came to drop off the 15-year-old girl at her father's residence. The teen girl did not want to go into the house with her father, and that led to an altercation between the estranged couple.

At some point during the tense argument, Smith went inside the house and took a gun. When he came back out, he shot at Desiree and Craig, who were sitting inside their car at the time. Struck by bullets, the couple tried to flee the scene in their car. However, their vehicle crashed two houses down the road.

Craig died at the scene, while Desiree died in an ambulance while she was being transported to a hospital.

A neighbor, Willie Shephard, said he heard the sound of gunshots, as well as the girl's voice as she screamed for help. "We heard a 'pop, pop. The little girl was screaming, 'My mama been shot! Help my mama!'" he told WSBTV.

Smith fled the scene in a pick-up truck following the incident, but he later surrendered to the cops.

In addition to the murder and assault charges, Smith faces one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of cruelty to children and one count of violating parole.

Meanwhile, a relative of one of the victims said there was a 7-month-old baby inside the couple's vehicle when Smith opened fire. The infant was reportedly not injured.

In a similar incident last month, a Louisiana woman was arrested after she stabbed her two young children amid a tense custody battle with their dad. The suspect, identified as Jenee Pedesclaux, reportedly initiated a video call with the kids' father to show him that she had slit their throats. She was eventually charged with second-degree murder, attempted murder and second-degree cruelty to a juvenile.