Milton biker found dead

9-14-2012 Alabama:

A 54-year-old Milton man was found dead in Robertsdale, Ala., and two men have been charged with murder in connection with the death.

The victim, Samuel Henry Dixson was found dead around noon on Wednesday off County Road 68 near the Styx River according to a press release by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.

Two men, Adam Lowery "Sandman" Mayton, 30, of Newbern, Ala., and Fred "Shooter" Weiss of Northport, Ala. were arrested Wednesday and charged with the murder of Dixson. They both are currently being held at Tuscaloosa County Jail awaiting extradition back to Baldwin County, Ala.

According to Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Scott Haines, Dixson was reported missing in Baldwin County earlier this week.

Haines said Dixson, a former sex offender, lived in Milton and told relatives he was going to Alabama earlier this week. He was reported missing by his wife on Monday.

According to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office release, on Monday morning around 2 a.m., the Rosinton Volunteer fire Department responded to a trailer fire on Northcutt Lane. The fire was extinguished but the trailer was destroyed.

The sheriff’s office found that the trailer was actually the clubhouse for an Alabama chapter of the Devil’s Disciples motorcycle gang, which Dixson was a member of.

After Dixon’s wife filed the missing persons report, his truck was found in Escambia County, Fla. Shortly after, his body was found near the Styx River.

According to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, two men walked into the Robertsdale Police Department Tuesday and stated that they were there to turn themselves into authorities on a homicide.

Before making any further statements they asked for legal council before questioning, which the Baldwin County Court provided them with. After speaking with council, both men stated they would not provide statements.

One of the men was transported to Thomas Hospital for injuries related to blunt force trauma. Both subjects were allowed to leave after refusing to file a statement.

The release did not indicate who the two men were that attempted to turn themselves in.

Late Wednesday evening, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office issued murder warrants for Mayton and Weiss.

It is believed at this time the motive is related to an internal squabble within the gang and that Weiss and Mayton intentionally and maliciously murdered Dixson, the BCSO release stated.

According to the Florida Sex Offender website, Dixson had a known address on Pine Blossom Road in Milton. He also registered that he was going to Robertsdale, Ala., back on Sept. 5 according to the website

Dixson was charged in 2004 with lewd and lascivious behavior on a child under 16 years of age in Orange, Fla.

A public information officer for the Robertsdale Police Department was not available for comment as of press time.

The trailer fire is still under investigation by the Alabama State Fire Marshals. ..Source.. by Mathew Pellegrino

Birmingham fugitive killed in Florida shoot-out with lawmen was charged with 2010 Hoover sex offense

5-27-2011 Alabama:

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A federal fugitive shot to death in Florida Thursday night by U.S. Marshals had lived in Hoover until he was charged in December with enticing a minor for sex.

William Jimmy Page Jr., 39, was pronounced dead on the scene inside his garage apartment in St. Petersburg.

Authorities said U.S. Marshals and Tampa police entered the apartment to take Page into custody for violating conditions of his bond release. Instead, Page came down the hallway firing at them, said Marty Keely, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Alabama. Lawmen returned fired, killing Page.

Page, who was living on Shades Crest Road at the time, was arrested on federal charges in December 2010 after authorities say he used the internet and telephone to solicit sex from what he believed was a 13-year-old boy, according to federal court records. A criminal complaint filed against Page said he was in conversation with an undercover officer pretending to be the teen boy from July 2010 through December 2010, when he made arrangements to meet the teen at a Hoover drug store.

He offered marijuana and beer in exchange for sex.

Page was charged federally, and later released on $100,000 bond with special conditions: He was to live with his family in Georgia and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.

On March 25, Page was discovered missing from the Metter, Georgia, home where he was supposed to be staying. His bedroom window was open, and a suicide note was left behind, Keely said. Authorities found the monitoring bracelet in the roadway about two blocks away.

A federal fugitive warrant was issued that day in Birmingham, and U.S. Marshals began their search for the man.

"A number of people had told us in all probability he would be somewhere close to the coast," Keely said. Marshals developed information that he was in the Clearwater area.

Marshals in Birmingham enlisted the help of the task force marshals in Florida. They were able to track him down to the St. Petersburg where the arrest attempt was made on Thursday. ..Source.. by Carol Robinson -- The Birmingham News

Beating fatality from Birmingham's Southtown identified as Birmingham man with criminal record

6-27-2011 Alabama:

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A man beaten to death early today by a group of men in the Southtown public housing community has been identified through fingerprints,

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Ronald Oscar Shoemaker, 35, of Birmingham.

Alabama court records show Shoemaker was a convicted sex offender with a criminal history dating back to the early 1990s.

Birmingham police were called to 913 24th Street South just after 2:15 on a report of someone assaulted.

Officers found Shoemaker with head wounds, said Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams Jr. He was taken to UAB Hospital were he was later pronounced dead.

Investigators said the victim was beaten and kicked by a group of males. None of the assailants are in custody, Williams said.

The assault took place in the parking lot between two rows of apartments. One resident said Shoemaker had been staying at one of the Southtown apartments with friends, but was kicked out this week.

Investigators have not disclosed a motive in the killing.

Most residents said they didn't see or hear the beating. They were awakened, they said, only when police and rescue workers flooded the scene.

"I try not to be out there at that time," said Candice Craig, 23. "They need to put a stop to all the drama for real. I've got two small kids and I can't have them around this." ..Source.. by Carol Robinson -- The Birmingham News

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4 men bound over to grand jury on murder charges in Birmingham's Southtown stabbing

7-21-2011:

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Cases against four men accused of beating and stabbing to death a Birmingham man in June were sent to a Jefferson County grand jury today, and the judge agreed not to reduce their bonds because witnesses fear retaliation.

District Judge Sheldon Watkins bound over the intentional murder cases against Robert Pierce, 46; Julius Sanders, 24; Renaedo Holloman, 29; and Anthony Samuel, 36, in the June 24 death of Ronald Oscar Shoemaker.

Shoemaker, 35, was beaten, stomped and hit with both a bottle and a chair before he was stabbed to death in a parking lot at the Southtown public housing complex off 24th Street South about 2:30 a.m. Birmingham police believe Shoemaker's death stemmed from an argument over a drug deal, Jody Jacobs, the lead Birmingham police detective in the case, testified in a preliminary hearing today.

One witness told police she saw Shoemaker and Samuel get out of Samuel's car and start fighting. Others later joined, including Sanders and Holloman, the witness told police. That witness said she saw Samuel stab the victim. Another witness identified Sanders and Pierce as being among the assailants.

All four defendants denied involvement and said they were elsewhere that night.

Defense lawyers Don Colee, Ken Gomany, Jeff Dummier and Ron Davidson asked Watkins to reduce bonds, now $100,000 each. The judge at first said he was considering a reduction, then declined after the prosecutor, Carlos Gonzalez, said witnesses were afraid they would be hurt. ..Source.. by Eric Velasco -- The Birmingham News

Update: 2 arrested in slayings of missing men

Posted in Related Deaths

12-18-2009 Alabama:

GADSDEN, AL (WAFF) – Etowah County Sheriff's Department will hold a press conference Thursday morning to discuss information on the human remains found believed to be those of two missing men and the Attalla couple arrested in connection with the slayings.

Investigators said Robert Wayne Kelley, 35, has been charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of James Bachelor, 38, and Rocky Morgan, 55. His estranged wife, Margie Morgan Kelley, 35, was charged with first-degree hindering a criminal investigation.

Etowah County officials did not disclose a motive in the deaths, but said that the Kelley's knew the two men.

According to the Etowah County Sheriff's Department, the bodies thought to be those of Bachelor and Morgan were found near Center Road in Attalla. That location was pinpointed by evidence recovered during their investigation, authorities said.

Bachelor and Morgan had not been seen for a week. Both men were last seen heading to Marshall County for a fishing trip.

"After they have been missing for several days, a family member came concerned and brought it to the attention of the sheriff's office," said Etowah County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Natalie Barton.

Investigators said the location where the remains were found is believed to be a random disposal site for the bodies.

Bachelor was a registered sex offender, but investigators said the deaths don't appear to be related to his sex offender status.

"It was pertinent information, we first believed, when they were just missing, but we don't believe it has anything to do with them being deceased," Barton said.

Investigators with Alabama's Department of Forensic Science will examine the pieces of remains to try to conclusively identify the bodies. ..Source..

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Burned bodies double murder in Etowah County: Cadaver dogs to help search

12-18-2009 Alabama:

ETOWAH COUNTY, Ala. -- Cadaver dogs are expected to help search a field where burned remains of two men have been found south of Attalla in Etowah County, investigators tell the Gadsden Times.

The biggest piece of bone found so far is about 4 inches, Sheriff Todd Entrekin said in a news conference Thursday. The burned remains are believed to be those of Rocky Morgan, 55, and his nephew, James Bachelor, 38, Entrekin said.


Morgan's daughter, Margie Morgan Kelley, 35, is charged with hindering prosecution, and her husband, Robert Wayne Kelley, 35, is charged with 2 counts of capital murder, Etowah County District Attorney Jimmie Harp told the Gadsden Times.

Robert Wayne Kelley was arrested by sheriff's investigators late Wednesday at a local hospital after he went there earlier in the week.

The men were reported missing on Dec. 11 and were last seen on Dec. 2 where they lived at Rocky Morgan's home on Rocky Hollow Road, Entrekin said.

It is believed the men were shot and killed at the Rocky Hollow Road home, left there for several days, then taken in a van during a period of a few days about three miles to the field on Center Road, just off U.S. Highway 11, Entrekin said.

..Source.. by Press-Register staff

AL- Convicted sex offender killed by police

9-24-2009 Alabama:

MILLRY, Ala. - Convicted sex offender Marion Scott was killed by Millry Police late Wednesday night.

Police were called to a home regarding a domestic disturbance. When they arrived police say they saw Scott outside the home with a firearm.

Officer's tell Fox10 News they told Scott to put the gun down and lie on the ground. He did what he was told to do but as authorities approached him they say he jumped up and tried to go for his gun.

One officer shot at Scott killing him.

Scott had previously been arrested for failure to notify as a sex offender. In December of 2008, he was wanted by Mobile Police for allegedly exposing himself to young children in two local stores. ..Source.. by Linda Jones

*Marion L. Scott, 21, of Millry was arrested March 18 and charged with failure to register. He was ordered to see the judge.

Woman Shoots, Kills Uncle Over Alleged Molestation

7-19-2004 Alabama:
TUSCSALOOSA, Ala. -- A 37-year-old Tuscaloosa woman has been arrested in the shooting death of her 56-year-old uncle.

Tuscaloosa Police Lt. Loyd Baker said the suspect, Shirley Jean Brantley, was enraged that her uncle allegedly had molested a preteen family member. Mose Aron (56) died from multiple gunshot wounds Saturday. ..more. by Associated Press

Terminally ill man will be tried for capital murder

8-11-2006 Alabama:
DOTHAN, Ala. A Dothan man who confessed to shooting and killing his neighbor could face the death penalty if convicted, but at a preliminary hearing yesterday it was revealed that the accused has a terminal illness.

57-year-old Joseph Michael Holly will be tried for capital murder for shooting Jim Layton Junior, on the night of July 11th with a shotgun.

A Dothan police investigator testified that Holly said he wanted to kill Layton because he believed Layton sexually molested his wife in 1999 or 2000.

The officer also testified that Holly told him he has terminal colon cancer. According to testimony, Holly and Layton were friends and co-workers.

Holly was not in court, but appeared by way of closed circuit television from the Houston County Jail.

The judge did not grant bail and no trial date was set. ..more.. by WTVM9

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Accused Killer Pled Not Guilty
An accused killer pled not guilty to capital murder Tuesday in a Dothan courtroom.

Attorneys for 58-year-old Joseph Holly entered a plea of not guilty because of mental disease.

Holly is charged in the shooting death of 38-year-old James Layton, Jr.

Layton was killed by a shotgun blast as he opened the front door of his home on Saunders Road in July of last year.

Prosecutors claim Holly entered the house illegally by using a key hidden under a doormat.

A March 5 trial date has been set.

Holly is being held without bond in the Houston County Jail. ..more.. by WTVY

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Jury Will Get to Hear Accused Killer’s Tape Confession
A Houston County jury will be allowed to hear an accused killer's taped confession to police.

Fifty-seven-year-old Joseph Holly is accused in the shooting death of 38-year-old James Layton, Jr.

Layton was killed by a shotgun blast when he entered his home on Saunders Road in July of last year.

Investigators say Holly admitted using a key hidden under a doormat to get inside the house and drinking beer while he waited for Layton.

Defense attorneys claimed Tuesday that Holly was too intoxicated to waive his constitutional rights and give the statement.

However, Judge Ed Jackson disagreed.

Jury selection for Holly's trial is scheduled to begin next Monday. ..more.. by WTVY

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Judge says Holly statement to police was lawful
2-28-2007 Alabama:
Joseph Michael Holly may have been drinking the day police say he shot and killed James Layton, Jr., but not enough that he was impaired and could not understand his constitutional Miranda rights, a Houston County judge ruled Tuesday.

Holly, 58, is charged with capital murder in the death of Layton. Police say Holly confessed to killing Layton on July 11 of last year because Holly believed Layton had sexually molested his wife in either 1999 or 2000.

Defense attorney Tom Brantley filed a motion to suppress Holly's statement to police on the evening of the killing because Brantley said he was under the influence of alcohol and unable to understand his constitutional right to remain silent.

Brantley cited the initial call to 911 moments after the shooting that led the police dispatcher to include a "Signal 24" in the dispatch to police. Signal 24 is police code for public intoxication. Brantley also referred to the Dothan Police Department arrest report in which one of the officers at the scene described Holly's physical state as "drinking" and that his speech was slurred.

But when questioned at Tuesday's hearing, officer Joey Evans - who wrote the report - said he would rate Holly's alcohol impairment at a two on a scale of one to 10. Sgt. Tony Luker, who interviewed Holly about two hours after the shooting, testified he did not believe Holly was impaired by alcohol.

Circuit Judge Ed Jackson denied the defense motion without comment.

After calling the hearing to order, Jackson granted a defense motion barring the public from the hearing. The motion argued that publicity of evidence potentially suppressed could unduly influence the jury pool. Jury selection in Holly's trial is scheduled for Monday.

Jackson allowed the public back in a few minutes later, stating both attorneys had agreed to "posture" their arguments in a way that would not reveal any potentially-suppressed evidence in open court.

Holly is being tried for capital murder because police say he entered Layton's home without permission prior to the shooting. A killing in concert with a burglary can trigger a capital murder indictment. If convicted, Holly would be sentenced to either death or life in prison without parole. ..more.. by Lance Griffin

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Holly pleads to capital murder; gets life without parole
3-7-2007 Alabama:

A man charged with killing his friend last year has pleaded guilty to capital murder and will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Joseph Michael Holly, 58, confessed to shooting James Layton Jr. on July 11, 2006, because Holly believed Layton molested his wife in 1999 or 2000.

The trial was scheduled to start Monday in front of Circuit Judge Ed Jackson before the plea deal was reached.

"The case was settled with the approval of the victim's sister and the police," District Attorney Doug Valeska said.

Valeska thanked Jackson for putting the case on the docket in a speedy manner. It is unusual for a jury trial for a capital murder case to be held less than eight months after the incident.

Police say Holly let himself into Layton's home on July 11, drank one or two beers from Layton's refrigerator and waited for him to arrive home from work. When Layton walked in the door, Holly allegedly said "This is for Christina," and shot Layton once with a .410 shotgun. Holly was charged with capital murder because police say the crime occurred in conjunction with a burglary.

Defense attorney Tom Brantley argued earlier that Holly should not be charged with capital murder because Layton had given Holly a key to his home earlier in the day and had asked him to pick up beer and place it in the refrigerator for him. Brantley later argued that evidence indicated Holly may have been under the influence of alcohol and unable to understand his constitutional Miranda rights.

Brantley is currently preparing for another trial. Jury selection in the capital murder trial of Shakira Thomas is set to begin Friday. Thomas is charged with killing her newborn in 2005. ..more.. by Lance Griffin