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DeKalb police nab suspect in Mississippi for double homicide, arson case

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Published  November 13, 2024 7:14pm EST
DeKalb County
FOX 5 Atlanta

Who shot DeKalb couple, set house on fire?

The grieving family members of 28-year-old Brittany Hall and her boyfriend, 35-year-old Derris Deshaun Woods, are desperately trying to find justice for the couple that was found shot in their burned down home on Cohassett Lane. One suspect has been arrested, but the families fear he did not act alone.

The Brief

    • Firefighters found the bodies of Brittany Hall and her boyfriend, Derris Deshaun Woods, at the scene of a house fire, and both had been shot before the fire.
    • Marques Holloway, aged 40, was arrested in Mississippi for his connection to the double homicide and arson incident.
    • Despite the arrest, the victims' families, specifically the grandmother Shirley Hall and mother Deidere Waters, are still in distress and seeking answers.
    • There is a fear of another suspect being involved and still at large, enhancing the families' sense of insecurity and need for assistance.
    • The police have yet to disclose a motive for the murders as the families continue their plea for information that could shed light on the crime.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Firefighters discovered the bodies of 28-year-old Brittany Hall and her 35-year-old boyfriend, Derris Deshaun Woods following a house fire at a residence at 2944 Cohassett Lane in September.

The couple had been shot and the house set ablaze.

About a week later, DeKalb County police announced the arrest of 40-year-old Marques Holloway in Meridian, Mississippi, in connection with the case.

Months after her granddaughter's murder, the arrest brings Shirley Hall little comfort.

"I had Brittany since she was a baby.  I raised her up until she was 28. It's just hard," Hall told FOX 5's Deidra Dukes. "I'm hearing they suspect someone else was with him."

Holloway is behind bars charged with murder, but the victims' families are terrified knowing another suspect may still be at large.

"It is horrible. It's a horrible feeling to live like this every day and not know, you know. But we just need some help," Woods' mother Deidere Waters said.

Woods' mother now fears for her own safety, not knowing why her son and his girlfriend were targeted.

"I don't even like to be at home alone anymore, you know? So, we have to live with that, you know, every day. And they not knowing what happened to these kids and why it happened to us," Waters said.

Police have not revealed a possible motive in the case.  The victims' families are desperate for answers.

"Anything that could help us find out what happened to our kids and why. For somebody to do something this gruesome, you know, it's just like that's inhumane. Unbelievable. You know, it's been a nightmare. It's been a nightmare for us both," Waters lamented.

Anyone with information in the case can contact the DeKalb County Police Department.

The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta spoke with the DeKalb County Police Department about this case.