In the early morning hours of June 29, 2026, the life of 35-year-old Juan Gabriel Sanchez was tragically cut short in a senseless act of violence behind a Goodyear store on Memorial Drive in Decatur, Georgia. Sanchez, a father of two young children, was shot from behind and killed. The community was left in shock and his family was plunged into a nightmare from which they could not wake.
His mother, Janet Duenas, rushed to the scene only to be met with the horrific reality of her son's death, a memory that would forever be seared into her mind. The loss of Juan, a beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend, left an irreplaceable void in the lives of those who knew and loved him.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led authorities to a suspect with a long and violent criminal history. Marlowe Hawkins, 44, was taken into custody on July 7, 2026, and charged with the murder of Juan Gabriel Sanchez. The arrest brought little comfort to Sanchez's grieving family, who were outraged that Hawkins, a man with a criminal record stretching back to the 1990s, was free to walk the streets. Hawkins had been released from prison just months before the shooting after serving a 20-year sentence for armed robbery. His history also included escaping from a Washington County prison in 2019 and a subsequent escape attempt from a Butts County prison in 2020. The weapon used in Sanchez's murder was allegedly linked to Hawkins through another violent crime he was accused of committing after his release.
In the wake of his arrest, Marlowe Hawkins faced a judge for his initial court appearance on July 8, 2026. He was charged with malice murder, possession of a machine gun, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Given the severity of the charges and his extensive criminal past, the judge denied bond, ordering that the matter be brought before a Superior Court judge. In addition to the murder charge, Hawkins was also facing active cases for other serious crimes, including kidnapping and sexual assault, which were alleged to have occurred in December 2025, the same month he was released from prison. The case against Hawkins for the murder of Juan Gabriel Sanchez highlighted the tragic consequences of a violent offender being released back into the community, leaving a family to grapple with an immeasurable loss and a justice system to answer for its perceived failures.
