ATLANTA — The family members of murder victim Alex Newton said they wanted to see the man who killed their loved one, face-to-face.
"We wanted to be here. We wanted him to see us," Beth Newton, the victim's mother, told Channel 2's Sophia Choi.
Jeffries Anderson sat quietly at the front of the DeKalb County Magistrate Court, beside his attorney throughout his preliminary hearing.
At the back of the court, Newton's family shed tears over the senseless loss of the man.
"Thanksgiving was hard. Christmas is going to be even harder," Beth Newton said.
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Atlanta police said Alex surprised Anderson, who was burglarizing his home on Halloween.
Alex stopped by his Alexan at East Atlanta Village apartments on Metropolitan Parkway around lunchtime, with a friend.
Police said that friend heard several gunshots as he ran for help, and he was able to pick Anderson out of a photo lineup.
Investigators said four others also identified Anderson, from surveillance video released to the media.
They found a black cap at the crime scene that police said matched Anderson's DNA, which was on file from a previous crime.
Anderson spent 12 years in prison for manslaughter. Police said he was also wanted for a burglary in Cobb County when he killed Alex.
"It's pretty clear that they have the right person. And that's a relief," Beth Newton said.
Cox Media Group