George Weakley Rhodes: The Bathtub Killer

 

George Weakley Rhodes, sometimes known as "Old School," is no stranger to violence against women. In 2002, he and Marsha Simpson worked together for the City of Florence Recycling Program. Friends said the two had dated, but quarreled.

Prosecutors say Rhodes waited outside Simpson's home in East Florence for her to return. No one can be sure of his plans, but we can be sure that when Rhodes saw his former girlfriend walking home in the company of another man, he drew his gun and shot several times. No one was injured, but Florence Police charged Rhodes with attempted murder. After a deliberation of only an hour, a jury found George Rhodes not guilty of the charges.

We can understand how they came to their verdict. After all, who doesn't take a gun to visit his old girlfriend? Who doesn't fire the gun in her direction because he's so elated to see her with a rival? Obviously, this verdict falls under the category of "What Were They Thinking?"

Rhodes had previously led a less than perfect life. Among his many previous charges were a 1971 armed robbery of a grocery store on West Mobile Street and a 1999 armed home invasion style robbery of an East Florence residence. We will assume Rhodes' record of violence was not allowed into testimony at his 2002 trial.

Neither did Rhodes remain a stranger to law enforcement after his acquittal. In January 2006, he was arrested in Florence for forgery. In March 2007, Rhodes was arrested in a drug bust targeting dealers who waited for children at a school bus stop on the corner of Cedar and West Mobile Streets. At this time, Rhodes was charged only with possession.

Drugs seemed to play a large role in "Old School's" life, but so did violence--probably each fueling the other. In September 2010, the 61 year-old Rhodes agreed to a plea bargain in the death of Deborah Elaine Oldham Paulk. The south-central Florence woman was murdered in her bath tub either during or after an ongoing New Year's party in January of 2005. Paulk may not have had the best taste in recreational activities or friends, but murder is murder. Court records indicate Rhodes threatened to kill Paulk's mother if she testified against him.

George Weakley Rhodes served only five years in prison; however, Paulk's family felt there was no choice if they wanted a 100% guarantee Rhodes would serve any time at all in a case that was already five years old. Perhaps George, by then in his seventh decade and with a body damaged by years of drug abuse, did not find prison so easy. Nevertheless, Ms. Paulk deserved more.

In June 2015, Florence police arrested George Weakley Rhodes, Jr, 66, in the assault of two men in East Florence. Reports indicated that Rhodes and several other subjects were drinking at a residence when a dispute over alcohol turned violent. Rhodes was accused of assaulting the two men with a nail clad piece of lumber, and both victims were treated at a local hospital for their injuries. Rhodes was arrested without incident and was taken to the Lauderdale County Detention Center without bond.

George Weakley Rhodes Jr., aka Old School, aka the Bathtub Killer, is currently serving a three year sentence in the Limestone Correctional Facility. His anticipated release date is June 14, 2018. According to the Department of Corrections, Rhodes will not have a parole consideration date; this is the sixth state incarceration for the former drug dealer known as “Old School.” He will be 68 years-old when released; we don't think this is the end of the story.

Update: As predicted, this wasn't the end of the Bathtub Killer's saga. Shortly after his release from his sixth prison stay in 2018, Rhodes again made the lead story of local crime pages. 

From July 2018: George Weakley Rhodes has arrests for attempted murder and murder as well as having a record of charges for various assaults and drug crimes. Now he and Daryl Burt are being sought in a Monday night stabbing in Florence.

Authorities say the 69 year old Rhodes, sometimes known as "Old School," and the 53 year old Burt were visiting in a Hermitage Drive apartment when an argument broke out. A third visitor at the apartment was stabbed in the chest; the victim is now in critical condition at ECM Hospital.

Epilogue: Rhodes' last victim recovered. Old School himself remained on the run until captured in Morgan County five months later (pictured). Currently, George Weakley Rhodes resides in Meridian, Mississippi, where he is reportedly an inmate in a mental institution. 

Taken from material first published in Shoalanda Speaks and Pen-N-Sword. PNS material used with permission.

Murder at Jody's: A Crime of Retribution?

Murder is still unusual in the Shoals area, and double murders are extremely rare. Add the element of an execution style hit and you have big news. It was certainly a huge story when Kayla Howard Glover, the daughter of a Florence police officer, and Gary (Bean) Baskins were murdered early one winter morning at Jody's Restaurant in Muscle Shoals.

The following accounts are taken from articles first published early in 2015 in Pen-N-Sword:

Early this morning, Muscle Shoals police were called to a shooting at Jody’s Truck Stop on Hwy. 72, a popular establishment known for heavy traffic 24 hours a day. Emergency personnel found the bodies of Kayla Ann Glover and Gary Wayne Baskins.

Kayla Ann Glover was 23. She had previously lived in Taylor, Michigan, and Killen, Alabama, but currently resided in Florence. The hostess at the Texas Roadhouse eatery on Cox Creek Pky. was a Brooks High grad who had attended NWSCC and was the mother of a young daughter, Natalia Rayne Glover.

Update: Family has reported to PNS that Kayla, who sometimes used the last name Morgan, was the mother to two children; however, she lists only one on her public bio. Kayla was the daughter of Hal and Sherry Howard. Hal is a Florence police officer.

Gary Wayne Baskins was a white male called “Bean” by his friends. He was a student at Florence High School until he dropped out, eventually getting his GED. Research revealed that he was no stranger to local law enforcement agencies. The 25 year old Baskins had a criminal history, having been charged with drug crimes in Florence as early as 2007. Records also show that in 2010, he had a First Degree Robbery arrest in Lauderdale County.

Baskins had just gotten out of prison about four months ago according to our information and was determined to make a 180 degree turn from his past life. During these past few months, he had applied many places for a job, but was finding it difficult due to his past record. His family and friends also said that he was a loving father to his three small children and, while had some drug issues in the past, was a person with a good heart.

Authorities say friends of the victims have reported seeing the couple together in Florence shortly before they were shot at Jody’s, a popular restaurant on Hwy. 72 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. The Muscle Shoals Police Department is the lead agency in charge of the investigation, being assisted by the Florence Police and Alabama Bureau of Investigation.

Then came speculation:

On March 15, 1997, Matt Williams was fatally shot while driving on Woodward Avenue. At the time, Muscle Shoals police theorized that the intended victim was a passenger in Williams’ truck. Information received is that at one time the passenger was a reputed member of the Crips Gang. While local authorities tell us gang activity is minimal in this area, it’s nevertheless present to some degree.

Our sources stated many years ago Baskins was associated with the gang, but had left the life style behind. Baskins, who was sometimes known as “GW” or “Bean,” wore the tattoo “3 18 9 16,” the numerical indicator for CRIP. Family believes the crime was a “payback,” but probably not gang-related.

From early February 2015:

UPDATE: A Muscle Shoals Police News Conference held earlier this week indicated authorities are still seeking leads in the double murder. Chief Robert Evans is requesting anyone with info on the shootings to call authorities. There is a 1K reward offered in the double slaying.

A source with the Muscle Shoals Police Department has stated there were multiple shots fired at the scene. The victims were sitting in Mrs. Glover’s car parked at the the Northwest corner of Jody’s Restaurant when the shooter approached and caught them unaware early Saturday morning.

Police believe the second victim, Kayla Ann Howard Glover, 23, was not the intended target but was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Apparently, after being hit in the leg, Kayla got out of the car and attempted to go for help in the restaurant, collapsing before making it to the door. Baskins, shot eight times, was found with money still on his person, making it appear there may have been a motive for the shooting other than robbery.

There is currently a minimum of $1K reward for information leading to the arrests of person or persons responsible. Please contact Muscle Shoals Police or Crime Stoppers at 386-8685 if you have any information about this incident.

As this is published, it's been over three years since the murders. Authorities have said privately that at least two of those involved in the shootings are currently incarcerated on other charges. Baskins is shown above with Travis Fallows, currently incarcerated in the state prison system for his role in two separate murders and linked by the Baskins family to the shootings. Will these men, and it's believed that at least three may have been involved, ever see justice for their roles in Kayla and Gary's deaths? For the sake of their families, we hope so.

March 2021: Six years after the gangland type hit that took the lives of Glover and Baskins, a 27 year-old Florence man has been arrested in connection with the crime. Shaun Michael Ryan has been charged with Capital Murder and remains in the Lauderdale County Detention Center awaiting trial. 

Of the two others reported to be involved in the crime, one remains in prison charged with two other fatal encounters and the third remains free. Obviously, there will be more to come...

The Strange Tale of Brandi Lee Campbell - Update

My brother passed away on 6/18/2008. He is missed very deeply by all of us! God rest his soul and I know I will see him again one day. - Brandi Lee Campbell

Brandi Lee Campbell entered the above quote on her MySpace page, the social networking site she opened on June 25, 2008. In reality, Brandi's brother, Bryan Ray Campbell, died around one o'clock in the morning on June 19. Brandi Lee Campbell shot her brother with a .410 calibre pump shotgun, and he was pronounced dead at Helen Keller Hospital later that morning.

Some friends and relatives of Brandi claim she had previously threatened the life of her 32 year-old brother, the single parent of a young daughter fighting acute myelogenous leukemia. Brandi, Brian, and Brandi's new husband, Charles Johnson, were all drinking the night of the shooting, so the truth may never be known, but Brandi claims she killed her beloved brother in self-defense and to protect her ten year-old son Brandon Williams, a witness to the killing.

Sheffield detectives who investigated the shooting were familiar with Campbell-Johnson, who had been involved in three previous death investigations and countless domestic disputes. They wanted her charged with murder, but the only witnesses were her husband and son. Despite her family's sworn statements, Sheffield police initially arrested Brandi Lee Campbell for felony murder, but they weren't prepared for what happened next.

Brandi Lee Campbell and her brother Brian Ray were the product of Terry Kiker's marriage to Ray Campbell. After her divorce, Terry Kiker Campbell became the breadwinner for her family, attempting to make the best life she could for her family. Friends remember both Brian and Brandi as outgoing children, always seeking to be the center of attention. As Brian matured, he began to call himself "Big Daddy" and nicknamed both friends and family, usually including the word "Lil" in the appellation. Brandi was "Lil Sis" to Brian, but she had big ideas.

Pregnant at 17, she claimed to have graduated from Muscle Shoals High School in 1997, while according to her family, Brandi was a dropout who earned a GED. She enrolled at Shoals Community College the next year. Brandi Lee lists her major as "Paralegal" and her minor as cosmetology. Networking sites also list her occupation as paralegal, but her only job since graduation was at B & B Hair Salon in Muscle Shoals.

Brian had similar problems in settling on a career, but at the time of his death had become a truck driver, an occupation his friends thought suited his wanderlust. Both married, with Brandi Lee quickly divorcing, and Bryan finding temporary happiness. After the birth of their daughter, Madison, Brian and his wife Angela separated, but remained friends until her death from a drug overdose--a situation that enraged Brandi Lee, the last person to see her sister-in-law alive. Single again, Brandi Lee began to live her life closer to the edge, often referring to her relationships with gang members.

Sources say her penchant for flashing gang hand signals at random ultimately led to the death of a companion who took a bullet meant for her boyfriend. Another boyfriend died minutes after leaving Brandi, a veritable pharmacy in his system. By now, Brandi Lee Campbell was definitely on the local police's radar.

The year 2008 initially brought happiness to the Campbell siblings. Bryan Ray had started his new job as a truck driver, and his daughter Madison's leukemia was in remission. Brandi Lee met a new man and promptly fell in love. The fact that he was engaged to another woman didn't deter Brandi in her pursuit of her "soul mate" and she married Charles Thompson in June.

The night of June 18th, 2008, Bryan visited his sister and her new husband at their small house on Annapolis Avenue in Sheffield. Leaving Brandi's son Brandon Lee at home, the three adults decided to celebrate. After a night of heavy drinking, the three returned to Brandi Lee's home a short time after midnight. Realizing he was in no condition to drive, Bryan stated that he wanted to ride Brandon's bike the few short blocks to his mother's. Bryan had given the bicycle to his nephew, but Brandi refused to let her brother take it. According to all present, the mood soon turned ugly, and Brandi and her husband began to beat Bryan with pool cues.

From this point, the stories of the three survivors vary, but they all end the same way: Bryan Ray Campbell lay dead in the dining room of his sister's home. Brandi stated she shot her brother as he attempted to force his way back into the house after being ejected by her new husband; however, only two empty shotgun shells were found--one on the front lawn and one in the middle of the street sixty-five feet from the front door. A trail of blood stretched across the porch into the house. After examining the scene, police took Brandi Lee in for questioning and formally charged her with murder the next day. Taking her past brushes with the law into account, the arresting officers felt the charge would be easy to prove. Even Brandi's mother announced she wanted justice for her son.

However, after reviewing the forensic evidence and reading the conflicting accounts of Bryan's death, the Colbert County District Attorney chose to charge Brandi with manslaughter, a crime that could bring up to twenty years in prison since a gun was involved. Judge Hal Hughston set Brandi's bond at $10,000.00, an amount that would ordinarily be difficult to obtain for a hairdresser with no property. The next morning, Brandi Lee's stepfather, Curtis Johnson, arrived at the jail to post bond. Family members were shocked by Johnson's actions, as were the arresting officers, but nothing prepared them for the grand jury's ruling.

Despite the discrepancies between Brandi's statement to the police and the actual evidence, a Colbert County grand jury refused to indict her in her brother's death. Brandi Lee Campbell had once again escaped her actions unscathed. With the threat of prosecution behind her, Brandi Lee Campbell was now free to put her life back together. A second chance is rare for many, but Brandi now had a third, or even fourth chance to become a productive citizen, a caring mother, a loving daughter.

What Brandi didn't have was a second chance to become a good wife; Charles Johnson immediately left Brandi and requested the dissolution of their marriage. According to Brandi's MySpace page, she's still looking for that perfect soul mate. Unfortunately, Campbell seems to be looking in all the wrong places. Arrested twice in Colbert County in September for Public Intoxication, Brandi was also arrested early in October for DUI. Later that month, Sheffield police arrested Brandi on a domestic violence charge, an arrest that sources say stemmed from an attack on a new boyfriend. After her move to the Holiday Trailer Park in Muscle Shoals, the Department of Human Resources reopened its file on Campbell who faces the permanent loss of custody of a son now living with his paternal grandparents. Still, Brandi told both friends and family that she was getting her life back together.

On December 23, 2008, Brandi Lee Campbell drove her mother's automobile into the front of Lewis Electric on Second Street in Muscle Shoals. When the investigating officer attempted to take Campbell into custody, she resisted and was forcibly taken away. We've heard that Christmas in jail isn't pleasant. Look for this ongoing saga to be continued.

*****

Brandi Lee Campbell, the Colbert County woman a grand jury refused to indict in the slaying of her brother, was again sought by Colbert County authorities in early November 2009. Besides several bad check charges, Campbell had three outstanding warrants for possession of a controlled substance. After being apprehended and serving a short sentence in the Muscle Shoals City Jail, Campbell entered a rehab facility. 

*****

March 25, 2011: Sources with Morrison Funeral Home have confirmed that the body found on Elledge Lane today is that of Brandi Lee Campbell.

In the days that followed, Colbert County law enforcement revealed that Campbell was found deceased in her vehicle, a spray can next to her body. Residents of the quiet neighborhood were shocked at the discovery and denied knowing the troubled young woman. Brandi was laid to rest in Guy Cemetery in Tuscumbia, survived by her mother and her young son.

The saga of Brandi Lee Campbell was finally at an end.

Taken from columns originally published in Shoalanda Speaks on December 26-29, 2008, and November 9, 2009.

Jennifer Hampton: Murdered by Illegal Immigrant

The following account is taken from columns that appeared in Shoalanda Speaks November 20-25, 2009:

The young Guatemalan had walked for miles. He was determined to make it to the United States for a better life. As he walked, he thought of all he would need when he arrived in his new home--a companion came to mind, one who spoke Spanish. By now he was in Mexico, having hitched enough rides to make good time in his trek. He stopped in a village filled with the poorest of the poor, a village where some families lived in cardboard shacks. 

When the young man left the village, he resumed his trip north with a 14 year-old girl for whom he had paid the equivalent of $20.00. This terrified child was to be his companion for the next five years as he made his way to Athens, Alabama, and began work in the Sweet Sue plant. His "bride" was not allowed out of the house or allowed to learn any English with the exception of what she gleaned from television. She attempted to escape, but the birth of her first child chained her to her captor. 

It was during her second pregnancy that the neighbors on the quiet Athens street heard her screams from the latest beating and called the police. The Guatemalan quickly headed south, ostensibly returning to his homeland. The girl was now 19, heavily pregnant, and forced to live off the charity of a Hispanic family in Decatur. When she delivered her second child, she arrived at the hospital in so late a stage of labor that the physician would not give her any pain medication. Holding the hand of a student nurse who stood next to her while communicating in Latin and praying for the young woman and her child, the girl gave birth to a second son. 

Now she had two anchor children, no education, and no money. What became of this young woman and her children? We don't know... 

The above story is true and is related here to present two very different sides of immigration. Are we against all Hispanic Indian immigration? No. Do we see the problems illegal immigration brings? Yes. Valentino Miranda is a man very much like the one in this story. Last year he killed a young Florence woman who was visiting Knoxville, Tennessee, on business. Now his attorney says he didn't understand his aptly named Miranda rights when he was questioned in the death of Jennifer Hampton. Will this stop his trial? No. It probably won't even slow down the judicial process that will bring a sure punishment to this brutal rapist and murderer. What punishment does Valentino Miranda deserve? Our individual answers to that question say a great deal about us. 

Jennifer Lee Hampton was 21 years old when she died, scores of miles from her high school friends in Waterloo and the various homes in which she had lived during her short life. According to officials at Waterloo High School, Jennifer lived with a sister while attending school. Her mother was barely in the picture, and no one knew if a father even existed. If these things discouraged Jennifer, she tried not to show it. While at Waterloo High she was voted Homecoming Queen her senior year and acclaimed the most dependable. 

If one looks at photographs of Jennifer, one may not see the type of girl that is normally elected homecoming queen. She wore no fancy frock or lashings of make-up. Jennifer won the title because of what she was on the inside. Neither was Jennifer rich; she had little or no money for college and was unsure of what she wanted to do with her life. After working in restaurants for a little over a year, Jennifer announced she wanted to be a nurse. Accepted at a local nursing school, Jennifer continued to work for what she wanted. 

Living in an apartment in Muscle Shoals, she worked as a server at Mama Blues Restaurant in Florence. Jennifer was so proficient in her job that owner Steve Barnhill chose her to be on the team that trained new employees in other towns. Friends say Jennifer loved the opportunity to travel and was eager to train workers at a new Mama Blues in Knoxville. 

It was in Knoxville that she encountered illegal immigrant Valentino Miranda, the man who brutally raped and murdered her. Valentino Vasquez Miranda had migrated to the United States illegally and, like the Guatemalan immigrant in the above tale, was living with a common-law wife over whom he exerted total control. Miranda and Rosa Rodriguez Hernandez shared a room at the Days Inn on South Lovell Road in Knoxville, the motel at which the Florence Mama Blues' employees were housed during their stay. 

When Jennifer Lee Hampton entered Room 148 on the night of September 19, 2008, she had no idea it was to become her death chamber. Nick Patel, manager of the Days Inn, had hired the 19 year-old Miranda and 38 year-old Rogelio Dominguez Melchor to do maintenance work at the motel. Both immigrants presented illegal social security cards--a fact that Patel vehemently hangs on to in his assertion of total lack of responsibility in the crime. Both Miranda and Melchor possessed key cards allowing them entrance into the guests' rooms. As recently as the week before, a female patron had complained of Valentino Miranda entering her room in the middle of the night, but management refused to respond to her charges. 

Sometime after 3:00 a.m. on the morning of September 20th, Miranda entered Jennifer's room with the intention of raping her. Miranda is the only living person who knows what happened next, but forensic pathologists have stated that the former Waterloo homecoming queen put up a prolonged fight. When a shaken fisherman found her nude body seven days later in Melton Hill Lake, Jennifer was missing a tooth, showed marked defensive wounds, and signs of sexual attack and strangulation. Now, with a body in their possession, the Knoxville authorities arrested Miranda, charging him with First Degree Murder. Hernandez had willingly handed over the bloody clothes Valentino Miranda had worn that night, and semen from the sexual assault kit matched Miranda. The Knox County District Attorney announced that it would, in effect, be a slam dunk case. 

After medical examiners identified the body found in the lake as that of Jennifer Lee Hampton, her family in Lauderdale County began to make funeral arrangements. At first, family members were concerned over a lack of funds, but individuals who had never met Jennifer stepped in and took over. Police departments between Knox County, Tennessee, and Lauderdale County, Alabama, escorted the former homecoming queen's body to the Morrison Funeral Home in the Central Community. KK Edgil-Hargett who works with rape victims and their families assisted the Hampton family in getting a reduced rate from the funeral home. Even as Shoals residents came forward to aid the family locally, stunned residents of Knoxville had begun their own efforts to collect funds for Jennifer's family. 

After Jennifer was laid to rest in a private ceremony on October 2, 2008, it had become clear that the initial expenses had been more than taken care of by the generous outpourings of those who had never met Jennifer during her short life; but others, still in shock at the brutal murder, wanted to contribute. Two female Lauderdale deputies initiated a nursing scholarship at Northwest Shoals Community College in Jennifer's honor. Bette Terry, a Registered Nurse who also works with rape victims, had already begun a fund in Jennifer's memory. Tina Parker, current candidate for Colbert County District Judge, assisted with the collection of funds and suggested memorializing Jennifer in the next Safeplace fundraiser. When it became apparent that the minimum funding to enter the Safeplace walk would fall short, an anonymous Florence businessman contributed the difference. Jeff Miller designed the tee-shirts, and on April 4, 2009, a team honoring Jennifer Hampton participated in the annual Safeplace Walk-a-Mile-for-a-Child. 

Jennifer Lee Hampton now lives on in the memories of those who knew and loved her. We hope those who have contributed in her memory to scholarships and the eradication of violence toward women know that they also have ensured Jennifer's memory will influence future generations of young women. Yet, Jennifer's story is not finished. Yes, Valentino Vasquez Miranda brutally beat, raped, and murdered Jennifer Lee Hampton. He then disposed of her body in a nearby lake where it remained for seven days. His skin and semen were found on Jennifer's body, and his victim's blood was found on the clothes Miranda wore the night of her murder. Rosa Hernandez, Miranda's common-law wife, saved the clothes her husband wore that night, clothes with Jennifer's blood on them. Now Miranda's defense attorney says his client has been illegally detained for the past 14 months. Why? Valentino Miranda did not understand his Miranda rights when they were read to him. 

Joe Fanduzz, Miranda's court appointed attorney states that his client understands little or no English and may not have comprehended the fact that he did not have to answer the questions posed him by Knoxville, Tennessee, detectives. Did the Knoxville police not provide an interpreter for the suspect? It seems the Knoxville Police Department did indeed provide Miranda with an interpreter, but the individual used was not certified by the correct authorities, whoever they may be. Does that mean the interpreter did not adequately inform Miranda of his rights--rights guaranteed by the United State Constitution? No, it seems that point is not really in question. While Miranda did not sign a release (apparently he cannot write his name), he did nod in agreement and acceptance. Fanduzz's argument is simply the lack of official status of the interpreter. 

A Knox County judge is set to rule on the defense motion on December 15th. Miranda's trial is still scheduled to begin January 11, 2010, at which time Fanduzz and his step-father John Eldridge will attempt to defend Miranda. We say attempt to defend, because there can be no defense for what Miranda did. Does he deserve the death penalty? In most cases, we oppose the death penalty for a variety of reasons. In this case, we have no doubt of Miranda's guilt and feel that he, unlike most of us, would actually enjoy a better life in prison than he would in the free world. Pray for justice for Jennifer Lee Hampton.

Epilogue: Valentino Miranda was convicted of First Degree Murder and sentenced to life with the chance of parole. His eligibility for parole will not be in effect until February 25, 2063. If alive at that time, the sadistic rapist/murderer will be 75 years old. He's currently housed under minimum custody at the Northeast Correctional Complex in Mountain City, Tennessee.

Matthew Williams: No More Cruisin' on Woodward Avenue

The pony cars are cruisin' on Woodward Avenue. 

Go and try to pass 'em, they'll smoke you if you do. 

From The Horizontal Bop by Bob Segar 

One doesn't have to be superstitious to realize that the Ides of March was unlucky for Matthew Daniel Williams. It was Saturday, March 15, 1997, when Williams died in a 10:20 p.m. drive-by shooting on Woodward Avenue. Reports indicated that Williams' red Mazda truck displayed symbols associated with the Crips; the other two occupants of his truck were Bradley Williams and his pregnant fiancee' Brandi Lee Campbell. Campbell was known to talk of gang related activities and flash gang signs at random--a strange affectation that may have directly led to Matthew Williams' death. 

Matthew Williams, a graduate of Muscle Shoals High School, was attending Northwest-Shoals Community College at the time of his death. A member of the choral group "The Singers," he had a perfect 4.0 GPA. Muscle Shoals police were initially mystified as to how the conservative Williams had become involved in a gang related shooting. Their investigation later determined that Bradley Williams, no relation to the victim, had been in a verbal altercation with the shooter earlier in the evening. Was Bradley Williams the intended victim? Were gangs even involved? Had Brandi Campbell sacrificed Matthew Williams to save her fiance'? Did Matthew Daniel Williams take a bullet that was meant for someone else? 

It's hard to come to any other conclusion after reviewing the various statements concerning the drive-by shooting. While driving north on Woodward Avenue, Matthew Williams was behind the wheel, while his friend Bradley Williams, an alleged member of the Crips, sat on the passenger side; between them sat Brandi Lee Campbell, often described as a gang-wannabe. 

Bradley Williams had been involved in a verbal altercation with 16 year-old Charles Eugene Black (pictured above) earlier in the evening. Now, Black was a passenger in a car driven by 18 year-old Jamie Allen Mackey. Three other youths rode in the back seat of Mackey's car, all either members of or closely associated with the Folk Nation. 

As Mackey's car maneuvered alongside Matthew Williams' truck, Brandi Campbell saw the glint of a gun as it misfired. Telling her fiance' Bradley Williams to duck, Campbell followed suit, allowing the second shot to strike Matthew Williams in the head. According to Campbell's dramatic testimony, she knew he was dead as soon as she felt him slump against her. 

A Colbert County jury took 45 minutes to convict Charles Black of capital murder. Black is serving a sentence of life without possibility of parole at the St. Clair Correctional Facility. Mackey was convicted of felony murder and is currently serving a life sentence at Limestone Correctional Facility; he is eligible for parole. The third defendant in the case was Ben Edward Burt. A resident of Reedtown, the 37 year-old Burt was supposedly the Northwest Alabama leader of the Folk gang and a close associate of Mark Anthony Hurley, aka the Reedtown rapist. 

The Franklin County resident admitted to ordering a random hit on a member of the Crip gang and was given a plea deal for his testimony. Burt received a twenty year sentence and is currently incarcerated at Limestone. According to Danny and Elaine Williams, Matthew's parents, while they accepted the plea deal, they expected Burt to receive much longer than his twenty year sentence. 

Update: Since this article was originally published, Ben Burt and Jamie Mackey have been released from prison. Charles Black continues to serve his life sentence in the St. Clair Correctional Facility. In a few short days, Black will have lived 24 of his 40 years behind bars.

The above article originally appeared in Shoalanda Speaks on March 6 & 8, 2010; it appeared in Shoals Crime in July 2010.