Dothan man charged with armed robbery in cold case murder

Dothan police claim that they have cracked part of a 17-year-old murder case. Two days ago, police arrested a 37-year-old man and charged him with armed robbery of a Dothan man who was shot to death that same June day in 1997.

A newspaper report says court records indicate that the man arrested is accused of stealing two firearms from the victim at gunpoint that day.

The murder victim was reportedly shot once to the back of his head while he was inside his motor home. He worked at Bryan’s Hobby Shop on Ross Clark Drive and lived behind the store in his mobile home, the paper reports.

The man arrested was taken to Houston County Jail and booked on a charge of felony first-degree robbery. He is being held without bail, officials said.

A police spokesperson said the victim was in his mobile home that night, after the shop had closed.

The spokesperson said the cold case investigation began last month after the robbery suspect was charged in a separate matter with theft of a prescription pain medication.

“During the course of our investigation of the theft, information was developed connecting him to the robbery and murder…,” the spokesperson said.

He added that the law enforcement investigation has not been concluded and that more charges or arrests could yet take place. He said investigators are “running down multiple leads and angles” in their search for whoever committed the murder.

When someone believes they might be under investigation or possibly implicated in a serious crime, they should speak as soon as possible with an experienced criminal defense attorney about protection of their rights and freedom.

Source: Dothan Eagle, “Armed robbery arrest linked to 1997 Dothan murder,” Matt Elofson, Feb. 20, 2014