Court records indicate a plea of not guilty has been entered by 52-year-old Sean Edward Cox and 47-year-old Anna Maria Hamilton, the couple charged with murder in the second degree in the Jan. 8 stabbing death of Derek Hamilton.
The two were taken into custody and bond for the pair was set at $500,000 each Jan. 19, but on Jan. 24, the public defender assigned to the case, Shannon Briese filed several motions including the motion for request of formal arraignment.
The charges against Anna Hamilton and Cox came after deputies with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to the 100 block of Seminole Drive regarding an altercation between family members Anna Hamilton, Sean Cox and Derek Hamilton.
During the altercation, Derek succumbed to his injures. Sheriff Jake Smith and his investigators were notified and arrived on scene to investigate the incident.
Derek was found face up in the residence and pronounced dead at the scene. Multiple stab wounds to the front of his torso and back were found.
Anna’s Boyfriend, Cox admitted to stabbing Derek during their argument that turned physical when Derek allegedly attacked Anna.
Anna stated on scene that if Derek had raised his hand to her one more time, she was going to take him out of this world.
Anna and Cox admitted they had all been drinking prior to the incident and that Anna was highly intoxicated at the time of Derek’s death.
The following day, both Anna and Cox were interviewed at the sheriff’s office regarding the incident.
Anna reiterated she was highly intoxicated at the time of Derek’s death, but could not remember when she had seen the victim with the knife but did not know “if it was prior to his death or earlier in the night.”
When speaking to Cox, he said he had gone and gotten a knife before goin to break up the fight between Anna and Derek.
He then fought with Derek and although Derek was unarmed, when Derek started hitting Cox, Cox began stabbing Derek in the back and stomach.
During the investigation, a recording of the night was submitted to the sheriff’s office investigators where Derek could be heard saying Anna was going to kill him and that his back was broken, asking what he was supposed to do.
“Derek believing his back was broken could be consistent with the wounds he had received from the stabbing to his back,” the affidavit said.
Pretrial for both Anna and Cox is slated for May 6, with a jury trial set for July 10 through 12.
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