Cobb Duo Face Murder, Drug Charges

Cobb police say that a Marietta man and woman, who previously told authorities that a man feel asleep on their couch and later died, have now been charged in the 33-year-old’s death.

In an email, Sgt. Dana Pierce said that on March 18, 2014, police were called to a home located in the 600 block of Elberta Drive in Marietta. When they arrived, they were met by the home’s occupants, who told them that the deceased male, identified as Gharri Nicholas Lawson, had come to the house at approximately 4 a.m. and had fallen asleep on the couch. When they went to wake him at approximately 4:30 p.m. that day, they discovered that he was deceased.

As detectives continued their investigation, it was determined that the home's residents, Terry Louis Thomas and Danielle Matzkow Darby, gave drugs to Lawson with the intent of robbing him of a gold chain and gold pendant.

As a result, investigators have charged Thomas, 36, and Darby, 43, with murder during the commission of a felony and drug charges.

Darby is currently in custody without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center and Thomas was taken into custody without incident in Flint, Mich., on Tuesday.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call 770-499-3945.