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Police: Suspects in double murder connected to other deaths

Investigators have painted a disturbing pattern of violence in connection with two men arrested for kidnapping and killing a pregnant DeKalb County woman and her boyfriend last August.
Credit: WXIA
Briana Brooks was laid to rest Saturday afternoon.

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. -- Investigators have painted a disturbing pattern of violence in connection with two men arrested for kidnapping and killing a pregnant DeKalb County woman and her boyfriend last August.

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said on Friday that Brianna Brooks and Jeronta Brown were just two of Andre Gay and Richard "Fathead" Wilson's victims.

RELATED | DeKalb County couple kidnapped, killed

Howard says both men are responsible for at least seven deaths since 1990, one of which was unsolved.

Both had been on parole several times before, despite the violent nature of their crimes.

RELATED | Double murder suspect was out on parole for murder

Howard said he will seek the death penalty against Gay and Wilson at a news conference Friday. "This case has really struck the police officers and the members of the D.A.'s Office because we have never seen a case exactly like this one," Howard said.

Wilson, 41, and Gay, 40, are charged with more that 30-counts of Murder and Kidnapping in the deaths of Brown and his fiance Brooks.

The couple's family was at the news conference along with more than 30 other family members of five other murders Gay and Wilson are connected to. Wilson and Gay have been either convicted or tied to those murders that date back to 1990. Family members wore memorial T-shirts with photos of their dead loved ones on them.

The latest murder and kidnapping happened on August 30, 2014 when Brown, 23 and Brooks, 21, were kidnapped in front of Brown's mother's house in DeKalb County.

Investigators say for three hours after the abduction the suspects called family members asking for a ransom. They were handcuffed and brutally executed when those ransom demands were not met.

Brooks was 7-months pregnant when she was shot in the head. She was kept alive on life support until she could deliver her baby. Her mother was at the news conference and talked about how proud she was of her daughter. "I mean my daughter was seven months pregnant, handcuffed, on her knees with a bullet in her head, gasping for air (fighting) to save her baby," Sadria Strong said. "That's how strong she was."

Andre Gay was convicted of the November 23, 1990 murders of Cathy Dozier, 39, and 17 month old Michael Broughton after he fired shots through their apartment door. He has also been tied to the August 10, 1990 murder of Kenneth Ellison after an argument.

Richard "Fathead" Wilson was convicted of the April 21, 1991 murder of Kenneth Martin during a random robbery. He is also tied to the January 8, 2014 murder of Fikree Jordan, 37, during a drug deal.

Both suspects were on parole at the time of the kidnapping and murder in August. "It's overwhelming that so many families are affected by two individuals who really don't care for life, that's pretty obvious," Strong said.

Brown and Brooks had three children, including her baby who was born before she died. Strong said the baby is doing well but is still in the hospital. She said the baby's name is Kaylie, the name her daughter picked out before she died.

Investigators are still looking into other possible crimes that may be connected to the suspects. Atlanta Homicide Commander Paul Guerrucci asked anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS (8477).

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