Defense attorneys file to remove death penalty consideration for spa shooter

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) - Cherokee County convicted spa shooter Robert Aaron Long appeared in Fulton County Superior Court Tuesday. His defense attorneys filed more than two dozen new motions, including some that push for his death penalty consideration in Fulton County be removed.

Robert Aaron Long is already serving four consecutive life sentences without parole in Cherokee County for killing four other people and injuring one person at “Youngs Asian massage parlor” near Acworth. Long shot and killed Xiaojie “Emily” Tan; Daoyou Feng; Delaina Yaun, and Paul Michels. Elcias Hernandez-Ortiz was injured.

Investigators say after Long killed four in Cherokee County, he then drove 30 miles to Atlanta where he shot and killed Yong Ae Yue; Soon Chung Park; Suncha kim; and Hyun Jung Grant at the Gold Spa and Aromatherapy Spa.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis says her team will push back against these motions and continue to seek the death penalty and pursue hate crime charges associated with the women killed in Fulton County.

The state is expected to respond to the defense team’s motions by the end of July, with both sides are expected to go through them with the judge in mid-October.

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