Cobb County Man Convicted of Murder and Arson in Death of Girlfriend’s Mother and Grandmother

A Cobb County jury convicted 32-year-old Robert Colt Smith on February 28, 2025, for two counts of felony murder and first-degree arson in connection with the deaths of 52-year-old Andrea Nall and 74-year-old Michelle Lacroix. The jury also found Smith guilty of aggravated battery and aggravated assault for his brutal assault on Nall’s daughter prior to the fire.

Superior Court Judge Kellie Hill sentenced Smith to two life sentences, plus 20 additional years in prison.

On February 14, 2022, Smith attacked his then-girlfriend, 19-year-old Carolyn Parmalee, leaving her with severe injuries, including black eyes and a shoe print on her face. He was arrested but released on bond under a no-contact order. Despite this, he persuaded Parmalee to stay in the relationship.

A year later, Parmalee was hospitalized for injuries caused by Smith’s violence, and two weeks later, on February 26, 2023, she was hospitalized again. After learning that Nall, Parmalee’s mother, had sought to revoke Smith’s bond, Smith set fire to a vehicle outside her home, which spread to the house.

On the morning of March 12, 2023, Smith arrived at Parmalee’s home on Janet Lane in Austell with spray paint cans, which he used as an accelerant to ignite a Honda CRV parked under the carport. The fire quickly spread, engulfing the house, where Nall, Lacroix, and eight pets were trapped inside. All perished from smoke inhalation.

“This community was robbed of two amazing women who opened their home as a refuge,” said Senior Assistant District Attorney Jared Horowitz, who, along with Senior Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Green, prosecuted the case. “These two mothers did what any parent would—protect their children from an abuser. But this defendant used fire to seek revenge. Justice prevailed today, and his reign of terror is finally over.”

District Attorney Sonya F. Allen expressed gratitude for the work of law enforcement and all those involved in bringing Smith to justice.