A man was convicted in Cobb County Superior Court for soliciting the Aryan Brotherhood to murder a victim in a home invasion robbery who would be a key witness in court. The attempt to solicit the murder failed with the inmate he approached informed authorities.

Samuel Etuk, 38, was convicted of criminal solicitation to commit murder and influencing a witness in a jury trial in the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Henry R. Thompson.

Cobb County Adult Detention Center records indicate that Etuk was a resident of Fairburn at the time of his arrest. The Union City Police Department arrested Etuk in an Econolodge in that city on March 8, 2021, shortly after the start of the chain of events that led to his arrest.

In a public information release, the office of Cobb District Attorney Sonya F. Allen described the events leading up to Etuk’s arrest and conviction as follows:

[The Cobb County Courier has a policy of redacting the names of victims of violent crimes]

On Jan. 30, 2021, [the victim] called 911 to report an armed robbery at her Cobb County apartment. [The victim], who ran an at-home nail business, told police she had been contacted on Instagram by a man using the alias “Darren Herring” seeking a manicure. During the appointment, “Herring” briefly left and returned with three masked men who forced their way inside.

The intruders assaulted [the victim], bound her with tape, and used a lamp cord and bedsheet to restrain her. They stole her laptop, debit card, passport and firearm before fleeing. Police later identified two assailants as Michael Hansell and Samuel Etuk. [The victim] said she had met Etuk previously through a mutual acquaintance. Investigators found digital messages on Etuk’s phone coordinating the crime.

Etuk and Hansell were arrested on March 8, 2021. While in custody, Etuk solicited an inmate with ties to the Aryan Brotherhood to have [the victim] killed, offering $10,000 for the hit, police said. MCS Narcotics agents uncovered the plot after the inmate reported it. Investigators set up an undercover operative posing as a hitman. A search of Etuk’s jail cell found notes detailing the murder-for-hire.

Judge Thompson sentenced Etuk to 10 years in prison, to be served consecutively.

“This guilty verdict shows our commitment to holding people accountable for violent crimes,” said District Attorney Sonya F. Allen. “I’m proud of the hard work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners in securing justice for the victim in this case.”

Co-defendant Michael Hansell had entered a guilty on Nov. 13, 2023, and was sentenced to 20 years must serve 15 in confinement.