(Lawrenceville, Ga., 2/24/26) – A Lawrenceville man was sentenced to life in prison for killing a man in a dispute over a woman.

A Gwinnett County jury on Tuesday morning found Hugh Donovan Forman, 58, guilty of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of cruelty to children, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon for the October 2024 shooting death of 60-year-old Victor Ricks.

Forman was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus five years.

“This violent incident could have been avoided,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “In Gwinnett County, violence is never acceptable. We hope that this outcome helps Mr. Ricks’ family and loved ones find some solace and closure.”

On the morning of Oct. 11, 2024, Forman confronted Ricks from a second-story balcony of a Lilburn hotel and accused Ricks of trying to have a relationship with his girlfriend. Forman retrieved a handgun from his girlfriend’s hotel room and yelled, “I’m going to kill him,” according to witness testimony. After a brief verbal argument in a stairwell, Forman retrieved his 3-year-old and 5-year-old children from their mother’s hotel room and loaded them into his car.

He drove his car toward Ricks’ room with his children in the back seat, honked the horn until Ricks came out, and shot Ricks in the stomach. Ricks died at the scene and Forman fled. Over the next several hours he dropped his children off with their mother, then returned to the home he shared with his wife where he hid the murder weapon, changed vehicles, and abandoned his phones.

Gwinnett County police were able to locate and arrest Forman later that evening. During the trial, jurors learned that Forman admitted he was responsible for the shooting, telling investigators that “jealousy is the number one cause of murder.” The jury also heard him promise investigators, “I’m not going to court to fight this and waste people’s time.”

Assistant District Attorneys John Weitnauer and Jasmine Joseph prosecuted the case with assistance from Investigators Rob Turner and Christian Robertson, and Victim Witness Advocate Shenita Coward. The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Gwinnett County Police Department were invaluable in helping to prosecute this case.