Douglasville Armed Robber Sentenced To 20 Years

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — A Douglasville man was convicted Wednesday for armed robberies he committed in 2015 at the QuickTrip and Walgreens stores on Thornton Road.

Marty Simpson, 57, was sentenced to 40 years in prison, with the first 20 to serve, by Superior Court Judge David T. Emerson.

On October 6, 2015, Simpson went into the QuikTrip and placed a note on the counter that said, "This is a robbery, give me all the money." He then pointed a gun at the clerk.

After taking $70 from the cash register, he ran away.

The next day, police were called to an armed robbery at the nearby Walgreens. Simpson went into the store, walking around before putting a ski mask over his face and pulling a knife, which he placed at an employee's throat and demanded money from the cash register.

He took the cash register, and $125 inside it, and fled the scene before sheriff's deputies arrived.

Shortly after that robbery, a citizen called the sheriff's office and told them there was an abandoned cash register in the woods near the Birch Landings apartment complex.

Officers who responded found blood on the register. The blood was later tested by the GBI and found to match Simpson.

A search warrant was conducted of his apartment, where numerous items of clothing that the robber was seen wearing were found.

Simpson has remained in the Douglas County Jail since November 6, 2015 when he was arrested. Judge Emerson previously refused to grant him a bond following his arrest, finding he was a danger to the community.

"This sentence represents justice not only for the victims who were terrorized, but also for the community as a whole as we have now ensured the defendant will spend the next 20 years behind bars where he will be unable to victimize any other members of Douglas County," said District Attorney Brian Fortner in a news release. "We are thankful things didn’t end worse and applaud the sentence imposed by Judge Emerson."

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Norman Barnett.

Image via Shutterstock