1ST OF 4 CHARGED IN DOUBLE HOMICIDE-GUILTY

Herman "Big Boy" Lawson Guilty of Murdering 20-Year-Old and His Girlfriend Over Cocaine

Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr. announces the conviction of Herman Lawson of Atlanta in a 2005 drug-related, double homicide. The Fulton County Superior Court jury deliberated for 8 hours over two days before finding the 24-year-old defendant guilty today on all 13 counts in the indictment:

2 counts of murder
4 counts of felony murder
2 counts of aggravated assault
2 counts of kidnapping with bodily injury
2 counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony
1 count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

The defendant received two consecutive life sentences from Superior Court Judge Marvin Arrington, Sr.

The victims, 20-year-old Jeremiah Ingram and his 23-year-old girlfriend, Fatima Fisher, were murdered execution-style on August 20, 2005. Ingram, a childhood friend of the defendant's three accomplices, was accused of stealing $600 worth of crack cocaine from the group. They drove the victims to a wooded area off Gun Club Road in Atlanta and when the two refused to enter the woods, one of the men, Lawson's cousin, told him to shoot them. The defendant shot Ingram in both elbows before shooting him in the head. When Fisher-the mother of two boys, aged 3 and 7 at the time-began to cry, the defendant shot her in the head at point blank range. The accomplices have also been indicted in the case. Trial dates for Christopher Allen James, Michael R. Jenkins and Bruce Roberts have not yet been determined.

This case was prosecuted by Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney Linda Dunikoski. The investigation was handled by Atlanta Police Department Detective M. Cooper and David White of the DA's Investigations Unit. Shantae Wilson of the DA's Victim-Witness Assistance Program provided services to the families of the victims and the witnesses.

CONTACT: Lyn Vaughn, 404.730.6860 (office); 770.597.6963 (cell); lyn.vaughn@co.fulton.ga.us