Hancock guilty

Angela Hancock was found guilty on all counts Thursday in her double-murder trial in Hall County Superior Court and asked the court for the death penalty during her sentencing.

The verdicts were returned at 11:00.

The jury found Mary Angela Hancock guilty on two counts each of malice murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Hancock was accused in the February 2000 shooting of 69 year old Howard and Helen Hancock. The Dahlonega couple was leaving Mary Hancock's Whiting Road home when the shooting occurred.

Angela Hancock's daughter Heather Hancock, son Nelson Hancock and son in law David Palmer sat quitely as the guilty verdicts were read in court. Hancock's estranged husband David was present at the courthouse but was not present during the reading of the verdict.

After a request to poll the jury of their verdict took place, Judge Gosselin asked the court if there was a reason not to proceed with the sentencing at which point Angela Hancock responded, "yes there is a reason I want you to request the death penalty I know that I am innocent of the charges and want you to go ahead and request the death penalty". Defense attorney Joey Homans responded to Judge Gosselin with a no ma'am which prompted even more response from Hancock, "I want lethal injection.. I do not want your life residency."

Judge Gosselin would respond to Hancock with "Ms. Hancock we are going to proceed with sentencing". Hancock would respond to Gosselins statement saying "no ma'am I want this on record I want the death penalty go ahead and give it to me now to which Judge Gosselin responded "that is not an option"

Judge Gosselin sentenced Hancock to 2 life terms with an additional 5 years for each count of the possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

In the trial that lasted almost two weeks, the prosecution established a pattern of behavior that Mary Angela Hancock was prone to violent behavior at the slightest provocation. The defense tried to establish that Angela Hancock was delusional and paranoid and that the appearance of Howard and Helen Hancock at Angela Hancock's residence on the day of the murder was perceived as a threat.

The State's case centered on two key witnesses, David Palmer, Angela Hancock's son in law and State expert witness Dr. Pamela Crawford.

Palmer, who is now married to Hancock's daughter, Heather, testified that he was at the scene at the time of the shootings.

"(Heather's) grandparents drove up and soon after that Angela and them started arguing and yelling. They were arguing about who owned the house and Angela said she knew why they had come," Palmer said.

"I went back inside the house and Angela came back in right after that. We went back outside and she went back to (the grandparents') car and she told me to get in her car. But I just stayed next to her car and they started arguing again and then I heard some pops and looked over and saw the passenger side window of their car explode and I just started running."

Palmer said he ran to several neighbors house to call 911 to report the shooting.

"I called them and then hid until they found Angela because I thought she might come after me and shoot me, too," Palmer said.

The State's expert witness Dr. Pamela Crawford testified during the week that Angela Hancock suffered from paranoid schizophrenia with one consistent bizarre delusion that the government was using Hancock as a surrogate but this delusion was not the reason she shot Howard and Helen Hancock. Dr. Crawford testified to a pattern of anti social behavior involving family members, school administrators and employers and that this anti social behavior drove her actions more than anything else.

The 8 women, 4 man jury received the case shortly before 4:00pm on Wednesday and deliberated until 6:00pm Wednesday night. Jurors reconvened deliberation again on Thursday morning shortly after 9:00am and announced a decision had been reached around 10:45am.

Defense attorney Joey Homans confirmed that an appeal would be filed within 30 days. Judge Gosselin indicated that she would like Hancock's present defense attorneys to represent her during the appeal process.