Former Marine fends off four robbers, kills one

Threatened with guns, soldier defends himself with pocketknife

Video: Crime & courts

Slaying of couple with 16 kids stuns town
July 11: Bert and Melanie Billings were well-liked business owners and the proud parents of 16 children, 12 of them adopted, many with developmental disabilities. NBC’s Peter Alexander reports.

Families swarm desecrated Ill. cemetery

Thousands attend McNair’s funeral

3 sought in slaying of couple with 16 kids

Crossing The Line, Part 12

On the run

15 Most Wanted

The U.S. Marshals want your help finding their "15 Most Wanted" fugitives, a notorious list of suspects fleeing everything from murder and robbery to child sex charges. To date, about 200 of the fugitives profiled on the list have been found. Tips leading to an arrest are rewarded up to $25,000. Click here to see the fugitives.

Breaking news alerts (about 1 per day)
Click here to sign up or text NEWS to MSNBC (67622).

Find more alerts at alerts.msnbc.com

Most popular

• Most viewed

• Top rated

• Most e-mailed

French travelers ranked as world’s worst

Ten cars that brought down Detroit

Texting Teen Falls Down Manhole

Toddler gives police a turn at hide-and-seek

Top 10 national park lodges

Most viewed on msnbc.com

updated 1:42 p.m. ET May 30, 2006

ATLANTA - A group of robbers in Atlanta picked the wrong victim.

Police say former Marine Thomas Autry fought off four attackers on Monday night with a pocket knife. They say he killed one and seriously wounded another.

Detective Danny Stephens said Autry was walking home from his waiter job when attackers armed with a shotgun and a pistol chased him. The detective said Autry pulled the knife out of his backpack when the group caught him.

Story continues below ↓

advertisement | your ad here

Stephens said the 36-year-old’s “training kicked in and he knew what to do.” He kicked the shotgun out of one attacker’s hands and stabbed a 17-year-old girl who jumped on him, as well as a man who also attacked.

The suspects fled, but police said they found them at a hospital, where the girl was pronounced dead.

Stephens said they face robbery and aggravated assault charges and are suspected in other robberies over the past week. Autry will not be charged.