Legal Statement. May your soul R.I.P baby girl.. Man charged after officer-involved shooting in Elmore County - WSFA Holton's parents called police when they arrived home one Sunday morning and discovered their son had held a party at the house the night before. By Anneta Konstantinides For Dailymail.com, Published: 16:19, 19 April 2019 | Updated: 18:13, 19 April 2019. When do we want it? There were times that I felt so helpless. 'Could you tell there was tension in the house?' She's got a right Lotte cheek with tantrums, feisty remarks and bossing her brothers about. Best Places to Live in Eclectic, Alabama Eclectic man charged with rapes of woman, minor - WSFA Jesse Madison Holton says he lived an unimaginable nightmare; police suspected him of murdering both of his parents, April Holton and Mike Holton, former mayor of Eclectic, Alabama. Former Eclectic mayor and wife shot dead, son charged with murder - al However, in preparing the case for trial the most they could say is its more likely than not that its a homicide., Normally, youd have blood splatter, DNA, possibly fingerprints, he said. 'Yeah, sometimes I could,' Holton responded. The ratio of all residents to sex offenders in Eclectic is 101 to 1. The crime report encompasses more than 18,000 city and state law enforcement agencies reporting data on property and violent crimes. I just thank God that he kept my head on straight through the whole thing. They tried deploying gas to bring him out of the house. April, who was near death on the bedroom floor, was put on life-support in the hospital where she died the following night. Then its church on Sunday and back to school on Monday.. He also argued, according to the Wetumpka Herald, that April Holton had several injuries where she had been beaten and Michael Holtons skin was recovered from under her fingernails. They fell in love hard and fast, and because their connection was one that was filled with trust and understanding, at least, at first, it didnt come as a surprise to anyone when they decided to get married at the age of just 19. Fox News Flash top headlines for April 19. Michael Holton and his estranged wife, April, were found on the bedroom floor of the home suffering from what would ultimately be fatal gunshot wounds, but was it a murder-suicide by a man distressed by his crumbling marriage or had the couples rebellious 17-year-old old son Jesse Madison Holton known as Madison pulled the trigger in a fit of rage, killing both his parents? 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Following that, Madison publicly stated that the last two years were like an unimaginable nightmare for him and that hes glad to finally be awake. In October 2018, the Elmore County District Attorney Randall Houston announced that the charges against Holton had been dismissed. Its hard to explain, Madison Holton said. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! I thought about my friends a lot when I was in jail, about what they were doing. That evening, Michael called 911 claiming that his son, Jesse Madison Holton, then 17, threw a party with drugs involved and trashed his Eclectic, Alabama, home while he was at work. Those were a 9 millimeter, 22 caliber, 40 caliber and 45 caliber. Madison Holton spoke to Dateline. He was a high school senior at the time. He like freaked out and then he called her and was like going off on her about it, he told Dateline. It was like, I need you. April Diane Owenby Holton, 37, of Eclectic, was born December 24, 1978, according to her obituary. Thornton said, however, shell casings from an unrelated incident in Auburn in which he is a suspect matched one used in Dadeville. On Monday, the state dropped two murder charges against him in connection with the September 2016 shooting deaths of his parents in their Eclectic home. April Diane Owenby Holton, born December 24, 1978, and Jesse Michael Holton, born June 3, 1979, met when they were both seniors in high school. The pioneering heart operation that only takes an hour and doesn't leave a scar is performed on first Briton, Martin Lewis reveals how to get a cheaper supermarket shop and FREE food. Jesse "Madison" Holton, then 17, was accused of gunning down his parents Michael and April Holton in their home in Eclectic, Alabama in September 2016. Now 19, he is working to get his life back on track. Like, Oh, damn. However, that just turned them away from the theory of murder-suicide. Holton,. The deputy then left the home, only to return a short time later when the shots fired call came in. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Ivana Hrynkiw | ihrynkiw@al.com. Twitter/mugshot DNA LEADS TO ARREST IN COLD CASE MURDERS OF TWO ALABAMA GIRLS, REPORTS SAY. I have no doubt in my mind that the sheriff will try to put me back in jail, Madison Holton told Dateline. Son charged with murder in Eclectic shooting Seventeen-year-old Jesse Holton of Eclectic, Alabama, faces murder charges for shooting dead both his parents after they tried to discipline him for throwing a party in their absence, police said. On September 11, 2016, Madison, living with his father, threw a party at his home that involved alcohol as well as drugs. More: Murder charges dropped against Eclectic teen accused in parents' deaths. Charging documents against Hill state that he, Travis McCullough and Tyreese McCullough, who also goes by Ty Reik McCullough, were present and discharged firearms into the crowd, causing the deaths of the four victims. There were times when I would ponder what happened. She was a full-time mom and could often be seen in the dugout section as a team mom., A friend wrote on her funeral remembrance page, April was a beautiful person & I am blessed to have spent the short time with her that I did. Another wrote, referring to April Holtons maiden name, To the Owenby family I am so sorry for your loss of a wonderful soul and a wonderful person who always had a smile on her beautiful face. I dont know why he has such a grudge against me. Told the sheriff thinks he committed murder, Holton said, He will think wrong for the rest of his life.. However, in preparing the case for trialthe most they could say is its more likely than not that its a homicide. He further continued to add that, We did have fingerprints, but they were not Jesse Holtons fingerprints. The police officer returned to the scene and found Michael Holton dead of a gunshot wound to the head and his wife April critically wounded. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He said regardless of what the district attorney's office offered him, he would not consider pleading guilty to anything that suggested he hurt either one of his parents.". Franklin said authorities got another call 20 to 25 minutes later. LaTonya Allen, mother of Phil Dowdell and birthday girl Alexis Dowdell, said anyone over 18 or carrying a gun needed to leave. I cant live without you, stuff like that and whenever we got back home, I had never seen my dad cry before, but he was bawling., In a journal found in his home, Michael documented the distress himself, writing in a letter to April, I just cant go on knowing that you are with somebody else and it was either me or the both of us.. He has no interest in doing that. And thats what kept me going.. "He's been adamant from the first day that I met him in 2016 that he is not the guilty party in this," Tom Azar, his defense attorney, said Monday. Witnesses also told police that he had a history of anger issues. I dont know if hes just a weird kid, I dont know what it was, but he did some unusual things that led investigators to question what he was saying., In the end, though, the DA says the evidence they received was more consistent with Jesses story than with murder.. The couple returned home to find their house in complete disarray. A deputy with the Elmore County Sheriff's Office came over to see what was wrong and noticed that Jesse had been handcuffed behind his back by his father as a . Has he put that life, the alcohol and the drugs, behind him? He was a graduate of 1997 Class of Elmore County High School, according to his obituary, and a member of First Baptist Church of Eclectic. Madison told authorities that after the deputy left, his parents went into a bedroom to talk and began to argue. An Alabama teenager who was charged in the 2016 murder of his parents only to have those charges dropped last year says he believes the town sheriff is still looking for ways to put him in. I pray for all (the victims) families. The six defendants are all relatives or friends, Thornton said. April was a member of First Baptist Church of Eclectic since her childhood, where she was active in the Youth Mission and won Bible drills, the obit says. Fox News Flash top headlines for April 19 are here. Madisons parents had reached a breaking point earlier that day after Michael Holton, the former mayor and fire chief of the small town of Eclectic, Alabama, had gotten a call from a concerned parent about a drug-filled party going on at his home while he was at work, according to Dateline: Secrets Uncovered. It was the final straw for both Michael and April, who were separated at the time and trying to navigate parenting the rebellious teen amidst their break up. BTS's Suga Vs. Nicki Minaj: The Race For The No. Cofer was taken into custody around midnight, Franklin added. (Imela Garca . Browse crime in Alabama by city, county, schools, and surrounding areas that display crime maps showing crime incident data down to neighborhood crime activity including, reports, trends, and alerts. After hearing her call, he said that he jumped up, kicked the door open, and saw his dad with his mom in a headlock before he went screaming to the neighbors to get help. The second thing that the investigators looked into, and quite possibly the most important, was their witness, the only other person at the scene, Jesse Madison Holton. Now, as a devout Christian, he credits his faith to be the reason he was able to move on without holding any grudges against law enforcement. Teen accused of killing parents after dad handcuffed him in - CBS News Less than 15 minutes after a deputy left the home of former mayor Michael Holton, gunshots went off, killing both Michael and his estranged wife, April, in 2016. Better late than never! Witnesses also said Holston at one point wore a ski mask. According to Dateline, the couple seemed on the same page about their teenage son. However, Madison Holton was going through teenage rebellion, and his parents were separating. From the beginning, this case has been open to interpretation as to what is actually the trutheither Jesse Holton killed his father and mother; the father of Jesse Holton killed Jesses mother then Jesse killed his father; or the father of Jesse Holton killed Jesses mother and then killed himself," Elmore County District Attorney Randall Houston wrote in a statement. And when April turned nine, she also went to live with her brothers at the Owenby household. Holton pleaded guilty to an underlying felony charge that was unrelated to his parents' death. Crime: 13A-6-62 - Second Degree Rape . 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Through the program, the brothers were placed with the Owenby family in the tiny town of Eclectic, Alabama, about two hours away. The dad was upset the house was trashed, the sheriff told Elmore & Autauga News. The Eclectic, AL crime report and city information below can give residents and potential residents incite on their local area and surroundings. April, youll be missed dearly, pretty girl. in scientology a smoker is someone who in a past life fell into a volcano, says another. 'We are dealing with young man with a history of emotional trouble,' Franklin said at the time. News, Sports, and more throughout the week. But he really is a a sweet, sweet kid.". He is going to a local community college to finish his high school education. Discuss Eclectic, Alabama (AL) on our hugely popular Alabama forum. The Eclectic, AL crime data displayed above is derived from the 's uniform crime reports for the year of 2020. Heres everything that we know. Dadeville Sweet 16 birthday party that left four people dead and 32 injured. On Monday, the charges were dropped and Madison Holtonpleaded guilty to violating the Alabama Youthful Offender Statute. There were times that I felt so helpless.. We had Jesse engaging in unusual behavior. Seeing double! Britain's rock solid support for the Royal Family: With Charles' Coronation just four days way, a major poll LORD ASHCROFT: The monarchy has to change, but the King has time and goodwill on his side. Investigators believed he took the handcuffs off using a key found in the living room to carry out the murders, but others in the community, including his twin uncles who each had a background in law enforcement supported Madison. 'April suffered defensive wounds to her hands, where it appeared she threw her hands up as if shield herself. Plus, there is also the fact that Mike was already angry at April as he didnt want their marriage to end and that he had a drug problem, with narcotics already in his system that night. That did not occur in that case. They got into a physical fight and Madison fled the house to get help from a nearby neighbor, who called 911. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He was placed in the Elmore County Jail. However, investigators doubted his story and said the physical evidence at the scene didn't match up to Holton's recollection of what happened. He served in the National Guard, Montgomery Fire Department, Alexander City Fire Department and Millbrook Fire Department and on the Air Evac Lifeteam, says his obit. Holton refused to comment on the specifics of the day of the shooting, but told Dateline that his family had begun to fall apart. For more on this case and others like it, watch". 978. Holton will be arraigned in Elmore County on April 26, 2018. Eclectic Crime Rates and Statistics - Niche Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Finances threaten delay in prof's Ala murder trial | AP News 19-year-old accused of killing his parents breaks his silence It's official! Were all hurting.. Low near 45F. Police hunt for Brixton killer after woman in her 30s is stabbed to death in broad daylight near O2 Academy. 'My office has reason to believe any of these three scenarios could have occurred, but we have no proof to support any of the three theories beyond a reasonable doubt,' Houston said. District Attorney Randall Houston talks about charges being dropped in Madison Holton case. ECLECTIC, Ala. (WSFA) - An Elmore County man has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree rape, according to the Eclectic Police Department. The sheriff added that additional charges against Cofer will be likely. She thrived in the close-knit community, where everyone knew everyone else. He gladly traveled to New York after 9-11 and helped many families. 'As prosecutors, our job is to find the truth and do justice,' Houston said in a statement. There was blood splatter, but none of it was on Jessethe evidence received was more consistent with Jesses story than with murder. And so, Jesse became a free man, and the case of his parents remains unsolved. Its not about money. The obituary says she was survived by three children: Madison Holton, Hayden Holton and Kyle Holton. The medical examiner who conducted the Holtons autopsy determined both their injuries to be from close contact wounds. Furthermore, although the pathologist classified their deaths as a homicide, they could not rule out the possibility of it being the result of a murder-suicide. Town Watch [Uncut] Eclectic, AL - Facebook I need to get out of Elmore County and start putting this behind me, he said. He had told the investigators that after the deputy left, his parents began fighting, going into the bedroom and closing the door, where he subsequently heard physical attacks taking place. Ricky Winston Smith Jr. of Eclectic will be sentenced Feb. 26 after pleading guilty to incest Monday before Elmore County Circuit Judge Bill Lewis. According to reports, Mike was shot at point-blank range to the left side of the back of his head, and the bullet whizzed straight through him to exit from the front. He credits the support of April Holtons family, and his church family at New Hope Baptist in Titus for being a positive influence. However, by September 11, 2016, their relationship had turned sour, and they had separated their homes, being in the middle of an active divorce process. Eclectic Arrests and Warrants | Alabama Jail Inmate Search ', 'Sometimes they would be arguing in front of us. The answer to this question is a bit more complicated than anyone would like. 'He's been dead for 130 years and can still satisfy the ladies': Social media goes wild over mystery woman Cancelled? The first grand jury in the case only indicted Holton in the murder of his father, but a second grand jury had indicted him in both deaths. There were times that I felt so helpless. Thomas Lacy Martin is charged with murder in the brutal . They might look and act like any other ordinary person might, but it is just a faade that enables them to keep the rest of the world unaware of the fact that a psychopathic killer lurks within their skin. 'With the angles of the wounds and the entry and exit points of the wounds, there is just no way Mike Holton could have shot himself,' Franklin said at the time.