Peter Capote was sentenced to death and is on Alabama Death Row for the murder of Kijana Freema. According to court documents Peter Capote, Benjamin Young and Thomas Hubbard lured the victim to a parking lot under the guise of buying an XBox and when Kijana Freema showed up he was fatally shot. Peter Capoteand Benjamin Young were arrested and sentenced to death
The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals has affirmed the convictions of Peter Capote for capital murder and first-degree assault.
Capote, 26, of Muscle Shoals, was convicted in Colbert County Circuit Court in April 2018 for the murder of Ki-Jana Freeman. Capote was also convicted of first-degree assault and shooting into an occupied vehicle.
Court records show Capote was sentenced to death by lethal injection. He is currently on death row at the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.
The evidence at trial showed that on March 1, 2016, Capote, along with three other members of the Almighty Imperial Gangsters, lured Freeman and another person to the Spring Creek Apartments in Tuscumbia with the intention of murdering Freeman because they believed Freeman burglarized the clubhouse of the Almighty Imperial Gangsters and allegedly stole an Xbox.
Shortly after Freeman and the other victim arrived at the apartment complex, Capote and another member of the gang exited their vehicle and fired numerous shots into Freeman’s Ford Mustang, causing Freeman’s death and seriously injuring the other victim.
The case was prosecuted at trial by the office of Colbert County District Attorney Bryce Graham Jr. The jury found Capote guilty of murder made capital because it was committed while Freeman was in a vehicle, and Capote was sentenced to death. Capote subsequently sought to have his conviction and sentence reversed on appeal.
The Attorney General’s Capital Litigation Division handled the case during the appeals process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm Capote’s convictions. The Court did so in a decision issued Friday, January 10. Attorney General Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General Christopher Reader for his successful work in this case.
The other shooter, Benjamin Young, also was tried, convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. His case is pending before the Court of Criminal Appeals.
Derrick Dearman was sentenced to death and is on Alabama Death Row for five murders. According to court documents Derrick Dearman would shoot and kill Joseph Adam Turner, 26, Shannon Melissa Randall, 35, Robert Lee Brown, 26, Justin Kaleb Reed, 23 and Chelsea Marie Reed, 22, who was five months pregnant. Derrick Dearman would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Derrick Dearman, the man who killed five people and one unborn baby during a meth-induced killing spree in Citronelle more than two years ago, was sentenced to death Friday.
Without ritual or drama, Mobile Circuit Court Judge Rick Stout said that the court agreed with jury’s recommendation in sentencing the 30-year-old father of two to death.
In coming to his conclusion, Judge Stout dispelled myths about Dearman’s mental health and notions that his drug use mitigated the murders. “Those mitigating factors were found not to exist,” said the 72-year-old veteran judge. “After the axe attack took place, Dearman then callously shot each victim
Judge Stout spoke at length and in gruesome detail about how each the five victims died, describing the axe wounds and then the shootings, only briefly being interrupted by sobbing from one of the victim’s families.
Dearman pleaded guilty in late September after firing his attorneys. The move came after Stout deemed Dearman mentally fit to stand trial. While most criminal cases would be concluded after a guilty plea, capital offenses are still heard in front of a jury, per Alabama law.
In denying the motion that Dearman was unfit to stand trial, Judge Stout said:
“It clearly appeared the defendant does have such rational understandings. His answers to the Court’s questions were responsive and his understanding of trial proceedings was above normal,” the judge wrote. “Eye contact was maintained during questioning, and nothing regarding his appearance or actions were abnormal.”
Dearman was found guilty during that trial and the jury recommended the death penalty for the killing of Robert Lee Brown, 26; Chelsea Marie Reed, 22; Justin Kaleb Reed, 23; Joseph Adam Turner, 26; Shannon Melissa Randall, 35. The sixth murder charge was filed because Chelsea Reed was five months pregnant with her and Justin Reed’s first child.
The bodies were found in an isolated home on a dirt road west of Citronelle on Aug. 20, 2016. Law enforcement officials alleged at the time Dearman entered the home in the early hours of the morning; attacked the sleeping residents using an axe and at least one firearm. Police say he later kidnapped his estranged girlfriend and an unrelated infant, eventually freeing them after he took them to a relative’s home in Mississippi.
After the sentence was handed down, District Attorney Ashley Rich asked the judge to consider preventing Dearman and his family from profiting from his story by signing movie, TV show and any sort of book deal, for example. Judge Stout said he agreed with the request in principle but would need a motion written up at a later date. “I have no objections to that request,” shouted Dearman from his seated position.
As court was adjourned, Dearman was stood up by some of the eleven law enforcement officers in the courtroom and led away. Dressed in blue with white sneakers, Dearman looked back at his father who smiled and held up his fist in response.
Michael Belcher was sentenced to death and is on Alabama Death Row for the kidnapping and murder of Samantha Payne. According to court documents Michael Belcher and four others, Chylli Bruce, Steven George, Alyssa Watson and Marcus George would kidnap Samantha Payne would end up being tied to a tree and brutally murdered. Michael Belcher was arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Wednesday morning, Tuscaloosa County Judge Brad Almond sentenced convicted murderer Michael Belcher to death. Belcher will die by lethal injection for the 2015 murder of 29-year-old Samantha Payne.
Susi Payne and her husband have fought four years to get their daughter justice and they finally got what they have been waiting for.
“Justice is being served, we can’t change things that have happened but there is some justice in this case,” Payne said. “I am just glad Belcher and all of them are getting punished for the part they played.”
In November 2015 Belcher and four others kidnapped Payne and took her to the Talledega National Forest where they tied the victim to the tree, beat her and then brutally stabbed her in her throat with a knife. District Attorney Hays Webb says this was a terribly brutal crime.
“I hope that this helps them with the healing process, they have some closure now,” Webb said. “But this was a horrible crime, literally the torture she suffered and the kicking and the beating and her nails being torn off and being put in a trunk. And we knew that she knew that they were going to kill her.”
Defendant Chylli Bruce will spend five years in jail and fifteen years probation. Steven George is serving a life sentence, Alyssa Watson and Marcus George are both serving thirty-year sentences.
Susi Payne says Belcher has never shown any remorse. She and her family are now trying to move on and they are keeping good memories of Samantha in their hearts.
“But she was really extra special, she had the best personality and she was always smiling. Always giving people gifts, we loved her and she was a wonderful person,” Susi said.
The Alabama Department of Corrections transported Belcher to a state prison where he will sit on death row until his sentence is carried out.
Brett Yeiter was sentenced to death by the State of Alabama for the murder of his father in law. According to court documents Brett Yeiter would shoot and kill 69-year old Paul Phillips outside of the Book of Acts Holiness Church following a dispute. Brett Yeiter would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Brett Richard Yeiter will die by lethal injection following an Escambia County (Ala.) jury’s 10-2 vote Wednesday afternoon that Yeiter should die instead of spending the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole for the Oct. 27, 2014, shooting death of his father-in-law Paul Phillips.
That same jury found Yeiter guilty of capital murder Tuesday afternoon and under Alabama law there are only two sentences: death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Yeiter was convicted of shooting Phillips in the side of his head on Oct. 27, 2014, as Phillips sat in his parked truck outside of Acts Holiness Church, where Phillips served as pastor. Evidence in the trial began Friday and the jury took less than two hours Tuesday afternoon to return a guilty verdict of capital murder against Yeiter.
Jurors were back in the jury box Wednesday for the sentencing phase that had witnesses from the state and the defense on whether Yeiter should be sentenced to death or be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
According to court officials, it takes 10 jurors to vote for the death penalty to be imposed by the judge. Alabama law does not allow the judge to overrule the jury’s decision. Any vote less than 10 to sentence Yeiter to death will result in a life without parole sentence.
Following the jury’s 10-2 vote to sentence Yeiter to death, Circuit Judge Bert Rice sentenced him to death.
During the trial, jurors heard a taped confession from Yeiter who said he killed Phillips and also said he would do it all over again if the events leading up to the shooting occurred today.
Yeiter left the scene, went to a nearby business, left his cell phone and fled. He was later captured in Texas after admitting on the tape he tossed the .20-gauge shotgun out the window somewhere in Arkansas.
During opening statements Friday, District Attorney Steve Billy told the jury Yeiter and Phillips had an argument outside the church which he said Yeiter instigated. He told the jury Yeiter then drove home, got his shotgun, came back and shot Phillips in the side of the head while he sat in his truck with his seatbelt on.
“Yeiter did intentionally cause the death of Paul Phillips,” Billy told the jury.
Billy asked the jury to hear all the evidence, including Yeiter’s confession, and return a verdict of guilty of capital murder.
Defense attorney Chuck Johns said the events leading up to Oct. 27, 2014 started years before.
“Our client has never denied shooting Mr. Phillips,” Johns said. “On the tape, you’ll hear that he said he killed Paul Phillips. But it gets back to the ‘why’?”
“The state is seeking the death penalty,” Johns told the jury. “This case is about life and death. But the question is does Mr. Brett Yeiter die at the hands of the state of Alabama?”
Billy readdressed the jury telling the members that Johns wanted to talk about the death penalty right off the bat but told them the first step is for them to listen to the evidence and decide guilt or innocence.
In closing arguments, Billy told the jury they needed to hold Yeiter accountable for his actions saying he not only committed a crime against the Phillips family but the state of Alabama.
“You’re a jury of Mr. Yeiter’s peers, but you are also a jury of Mr. Phillips’ peers,” Billy said. “He took a family man from his family. Today is the day Mr. Yeiter should be held accountable.”
Billy reminded the jury that after the initial confrontation at the church, Yeiter went back to his house, loaded his shotgun and came back and shot Phillips.
“Yeiter is a coward, an absolute coward,” he said.
Billy also told the jury if Yeiter felt he was justified in killing Phillips, why did he run?
“If you’re justified in doing something, you don’t run,” Billy said. “You don’t flee and throw the gun away. You hang around to explain.”
Billy also pointed to Yeiter’s taped confession when he admitted on multiple times killing Phillips and said he would do it again.
“I’m asking you to find him guilty as charged of capital murder,” Billy said.
Johns again told the jury the events that occurred in October, 2014 didn’t just happen that day but had been building up.
He said Phillips had mentally abused Yeiter and “pushed him over the edge”.
He also said the state was pointing out the fact that Yeiter left the church and came back, but questioned why Phillips didn’t leave.
“A person is justified to use deadly physical force if he reasonably believes he’s threatened with physical force,” Johns said.
Assistant District Attorney Todd Stearns opened up the state’s final statements to the jury saying “Justified”.
“That’s what they want you to believe,” Stearns said. “If you’re mad at your boss, your wife, do you go get a gun and blow their heads off? That’s not how we act in a civilized society.”
Stearns told the jury Yeiter let his hate fester and fired that hate down the shotgun barrel into Phillips’ head.
“He died right there in front of his own church,” Stearns said of Phillips.
“If he felt he was justified, why didn’t he call the police and stay there?” Stearns added. “He didn’t do anything reasonable a person who was in fear of his life would do.”
Stearns also told the jury that in Yeiter’s taped statement he said he’d just had enough and said he couldn’t justify his actions.
“Take him at his own word,” Stearns said in ending.
Alabama Death Row for men is located at the Holman Correctional Facility. Alabama Death Row for women is located at the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women. Alabama primary method of execution is lethal injection.
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