Man charged in Alabama double murder

According to police, a 20-year-old man has been charged in a homicide that occurred at an Alabama motel on Dec. 19. The man had already been detained by authorities on Dec. 23 on charges of drug possession, carrying a pistol without a permit and criminal trespass.

A man and woman killed were 23 and 24 years old, and they were both shot in the head. Police say that the killings were related to money and drugs. On Dec. 20, police took another man into custody whom they charged with possession of marijuana and tampering with physical evidence. Although they had believed him to be a person of interest at the time, they have said he was not involved in the killings.

The man believed to be responsible is now facing two charges of capital murder and is being held without bond. According to the police chief, officers worked many hours on the case.

An individual who is facing serious charges like murder may have several legal options available. The individual in such a case might plead innocent in a trial, and an attorney might attempt to prove that innocence with alibis and by calling into question any physical evidence or eyewitness accounts. Depending on the strength of the prosecution’s case, this may be successful.

Another option might be to work with the prosecution on a plea bargain. A plea bargain usually allows an individual to plead guilty to lesser charges and receive a lighter sentence.

An individual in a similar case might also have the option of testifying against others who might be involved in the crime or in similar crimes in exchange for a lighter sentence. For example, in a drug-related murder, the individual may have information that is valuable to authorities about others involved in the drug trade.

Source: AL.com, “Anniston man arrested on capital murder charges for Oxford motel double homicide,” William Thornton, Feb. 4, 2015