Cobb County

Cobb Co. man who killed stepson with hunting knife over dirty dishes argument found guilty

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County man has been convicted a second time in the stabbing murder of his stepson after his first conviction was overturned by the Georgia Supreme Court and he was granted a new trial.

On Aug. 24, 2015, Aaron Edward Strong, who was 67 years old at the time, returned home after a weekend away and got into an argument which escalated quickly with his stepson, Maurice Arnold, 32, and his step-grandson, DeAndre Arnold, 22, about dirty dishes in the sink.

To diffuse the situation, a friend of DeAndre went to the house after hearing the argument in the background of a video game chat.

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The friend convinced Maurice and DeAndre to leave the house in order to de-escalate the argument.

While they were attempting to leave, Strong pushed Maurice and began to stab him with a hunting knife.

DeAndre tried to stop Strong from continually stabbing Maurice, but was injured by Strong in the process.

Maurice died due to his stabbing injuries.

During Strong’s second trial, which began on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, Maurice’s mother, Felicie Strong, testified to the relationship between her, her husband, and their family members.

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Strong, now 74, was found guilty of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony on Friday.

The jury deliberated for about 3.5 hours.

Sentencing is set for a later date.

After the verdict, Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Green commented, “This defendant slaughtered and gutted his wife’s child and grandchild over dirty dishes. It wasn’t his first vicious attack on innocent lives, but it will be his last thanks to the jury’s verdict in this case.”

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