Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Clear skies. The new indictment is the latest development in a case thats had many twists and turns. 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. April was still alive, but she wouldnt live for long. At the prelim, if I recall, the deputy that spoke that day said theres no evidence that he tried to clean up, no evidence he changed his clothes.. At one point in the evening, a DJs speaker fell over, making a sound similar to a gunshot, Thornton said. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Cofer shot eight rounds, Franklin said. Mike restrained Holton in handcuffs and called the sheriff's department. He said he bears no ill will to the district attorneys office or law enforcement. The Eclectic, AL crime data displayed above is derived from the 's uniform crime reports for the year of 2020. Investigators found Michaels DNA under Aprils fingernails and Michael had scrapes on his face, suggesting a possible struggle. Cofer was taken into custody around midnight, Franklin added. The city itself is quaint and charming, filled with cozy neighborhoods and friendly people. 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. The dad was upset the house was trashed, the sheriff told Elmore & Autauga News. You wont see it coming. James Michael Strickland, 43, of. 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. The first thing we were told when my brother arrived on the scene was Michael shot my sister and then killed himself, said Evans. When Elmore County Sheriffs deputy left the home of Michael Holton at 4:48 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2016, it seemed as if a family crisis was subsiding. Then Im going to my aunts Saturday for horseback riding and shooting, and I have a cousins birthday party Saturday. His hands were in the handcuffs when authorities returned. The restaurant reopened in its new location in North Dallas in March 2023 after being closed for 13 months. And then there was something else. Defendants in the Dadeville shooting are brought into court on April 25, 2023. 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. "Madison is released from any obligations of his bond. Discuss Eclectic, Alabama (AL) on our hugely popular Alabama forum. Explore crime rates for Eclectic, AL including murder, assault, and property crime statistics. 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. There was an error processing your request. The new expanded the list of crimes for which a defendant could be held without bail. ' But because her hand was covering the right portion of her head, it impacted it there as well. He served as Chief of the Eclectic Fire Department and was a certified fire instructor. Market data provided by Factset. People say I showed no emotion. I'd be mad at the world. 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. 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Mike Holton was right-handed and shot right-handed, so its not probable that he shot himself in the back of the head on the left side., April Holton received a gunshot wound to one of her fingers on her right hand, consistent with a defensive woundApril Holtons right hand was covering the top right portion of her head, where the bullet enteredThe medical examiner who performed both autopsies characterized the injuries at close contact wounds. Were all hurting.. Located in rural Elmore County and just 28 miles from the state capital of Montgomery, the city offers a small-town atmosphere with easy access to larger urban areas. The 10 Best New Movies On Netflix In 2023: April Edition. While in custody, he made other bizarre comments, such as he wanted to know when Wetumpkas prom was going to be, reported the Montgomery Advertiser. Anna Wintour arrives arm-in-arm with rumored beau Bill Nighy at 2023 Met Gala. A neighbor reported the parents had been shot in the head, WSFA-TV reported. Now, if youre here wondering about the details of their case, youve come to the right place. After a search during which deputies took photos and confiscated drug paraphernalia, officers informed Michael Holton he could go to the juvenile probation office the next morning to sign a petition against his son, Franklin said. Man charged after officer-involved shooting in Elmore County, Pedestrian killed after being hit by vehicle on I-65, Arrest made in 2020 Butler County murder case, Crenshaw Christian Academy teacher gives life lessons through art, Montgomery attorney pleads guilty to financial exploitation of the elderly, Alabama lawmakers introduce bills targeting drag shows, gender terms, Another possible environmental situation under investigation at Autauga County school. Azar said the most likely scenario is that Mike Holton shot April Holton, and then turned the handgun on himself. 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The deputy left the house after giving Michael and April instructions about how to get a copy of the police report, but just 11 minutes later they received a 911 call after gunshots were fired. ECSO deputies responded to the Holton residence, arriving a short time later, and spoke with Michael Holton in the front yard, Franklin said. Madison told authorities that after the deputy left, his parents went into a bedroom to talk and began to argue. "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. Aprils brother Michael Evans, a police officer elsewhere, told WSFA-TV that he believes Madison is innocent. ALABAMA TEACHER ARRESTED AFTER GUN DISCHARGES IN HIS POCKET INSIDE A CLASSROOM OF FIRST GRADERS. 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. He missed his senior year at Elmore County High School. According to Dateline, Madison threw a house party while his dad was at work. The Met Gala begins! The look of love! The week's obituaries, delivered to your inbox. Now, Holton will tell his story at 10/9C on NBCs Dateline on the evening of April 19, 2019. We had Jesse engaging in unusual behavior. 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. As a child to young and successful parents, who were enthusiastic and supportive about everything that he did, Madison grew up happy and content, getting everything that he ever asked for. Madison told Dateline: Secrets Uncovered he had asked for a polygraph test like three or four times to prove his innocence a request that was also captured on interrogation video but he was never given one. But then I thought about all the people that were supporting me. ECLECTIC, Ala. (WSFA) - A man was taken into custody after an Elmore County Sheriffs deputy was shot and injured in a standoff near Eclectic overnight. He has no interest in doing that. Mikes diaries also indicated a man who felt like he couldnt go on without his marriage. Mike, a former mayor of of the town, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head. Oh, yes sir, Madison Holton said. The trajectory of the wounds is what made authorities turn away from murder-suicide as a possibility initially, according to Dateline. I dont understand how a person could do that, he said Wednesday afternoon during an exclusive interview at Blount Cultural Park. I dont understand how a person could do that. Holton pleaded guilty to an underlying felony charge that was unrelated to his parents' death. (Carol Robinson). Its not about money. 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.. What we have is a murder, a marriage, and a mystery. According to our research of Alabama and other state lists, there were 10 registered sex offenders living in Eclectic as of April 15, 2023. 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 . But I cant be mad at the entire Elmore County Sheriffs Department.. There were remnants of a teenage party. Eleven minutes later, after the deputy left, there was a 911 call. Also in August,Tallapoosa Publishers obtained the toxicology report on Michael Holtons body that indicated three opioid or opioid-like substances, including hydrocodone and oxycodone, were found in his system at the time of his death. April who had suffered gunshot wounds through her hand as if she had tried to defend herself from the attack as well as to her head was struggling for her life but later died at a local hospital. I will see you when I get there. He had just turned 17 when his parents died. Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said Mike Holton called the sheriffs department and filed a complaint about the home being trashed following a weekend party. mother of Phil Dowdell and birthday girl Alexis Dowdell, Charging documents against Hill state that he, Travis McCullough and Tyreese McCullough. Aniah Blanchard, a 19-year-old college student from Homewood, was abducted from a convenience store in Auburn in October 2019. 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. But the ending? The only other person in the house that had means is (Madison Holton).. Holton will be arraigned in Elmore County on April 26, 2018. Most of the suspects said he fired first, Thornton said. She thrived in the close-knit community, where everyone knew everyone else. And its Season 4 episode, Two Families, chronicling the brutal murder of husband and wife April and Mike Holton, examines the same concept. Madison, who had been living with his dad after his parents separated, also recalled how distraught his dad had been when he found out that April his one-time high school sweetheart had moved on with a new boyfriend. The gun had been fired, Thornton said. 'You ever have your hands on that gun that day?' Crime in Eclectic, Alabama (AL): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map All Cities Alabama, Alabama smaller cities, Alabama small towns Eclectic main page US Crime Crime rate in Eclectic, Alabama (AL) April Diane Owenby Holton, 37, of Eclectic, was born December 24, 1978, according to her obituary. Investigators said they would have to place the gun upside down and angle it with a left hand to replicate the trajectory of that wound. Compare Eclectic crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout. 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. And if you here curious about where he is now, then youve come to the right place. Holton told authorities that his father shot his mother before turning the gun on himself. My favorite TV show is 'The Walking Dead.' Ivana Hrynkiw | ihrynkiw@al.com. He did not attend his parents funerals. Holton was charged with his parents' deaths but in October the district attorney dropped the charges. "The case is over," Azar said, Monday. The teen who was accused of shooting both his parents dead believes the sheriff will still try to put him in jail, even though the charges were dropped six months ago. In a call recorded from jail a few days after hed been arrested, Madison asked someone what all the girls said about his arrest. The answer to this question is a bit more complicated than anyone would like. The killings rocked the tiny town and many believe Holton is to blame. Eclectic, AL Edwardsville, AL Elba, AL Elberta, AL Eldridge, AL Elkmont, AL Elmore, AL Emelle, AL Empire, AL Enterprise, AL Epes, AL . Success! The 17-year-old's story just didn't add up.'. I couldnt live every day being mad. Investigation Discovery's 'American Monster: Two Families' unravels the mystery behind the murder of April Holton and Mike Holton, former mayor of Eclectic, Alabama, by examining their lives and the contradicting evidence at the scene of the crime, with the help of archival footage and one-on-one interviews with their friends, family, and the There were times when I would ponder what happened. He told the newspaper that he was in shock when his parents died, which is why he may not have shown that much emotion. Then he plans on going to another community college to get his GPA up before going to a four-year college and likely pursuing a history degree before going to law school. 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. asked Mankiewicz. District Attorney Randall Houston explained, The state received additional evidence in the Holton case, which we did not have at the time of the 2017 presentation to the Elmore County Grand Jury, and I believe that may have affected the outcome.. IAN BIRRELL: Why are we kowtowing to a sinister dictatorship in China that still covers up the origins of Career coach reveals the best way to explain why you left a job after a short period of time - and you only Father 'crushed to death' in indoor cave at tourist attraction 'was read poem by his daughter' while he lay Can the Keto diet help treat mental illness? Frustrated, Michael asked the deputy how they could get the courts involved. 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. The murder charges were ultimately dismissed, although the state can later decide to refile the charges in the future if more evidence develops. An Alabamateenager 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 jail. LaTonya Allen, mother of Phil Dowdell and birthday girl Alexis Dowdell, said anyone over 18 or carrying a gun needed to leave. An old Twitter page in Jesse Madison Holtons name dates to 2012. He wants to be a defense attorney. And it eventually resulted in his arrest. Mike Holton was pronounced dead at the scene, and April Holton died some days later from her wound. I saw all the comments on Facebook after the charges were dropped Monday, Madison Holton said. Mike Holton, a former mayor of Eclectic, asked investigators what it would take to file a juvenile petition against his son, the sheriff said. Michael Holton was also found with defensive wounds.. His life was devoted to serving people and his community. Holton, then 17, was charged as an adult with the slayings of his mother and father, but the charges were later dismissed. Under Alabama law, the crime of reckless murder is committed when a person recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to a person other than himself or herself and causes the death of another person. Holton told deputies he was trying to discipline his son. And by the time Mike came back from work, the place was a mess, which prompted him to handcuff his son, call his soon to be ex-wife, and dial 911. Witnesses reported hearing rapid fire and Thornton testified one defendant admitted his gun had been altered to be fully automatic and investigators believe another gun had also been converted to automatic. Evans also contends Michael Holton was a drug user and drug use contributed to his decision to step down as Eclectics mayor and may have played a role in the violence on Sept. 11. There was no blood splatter at all on him. I couldnt live every day being mad, he told the Montgomery Advertiser. A 15-year-old, who has not been publicly identified, is also charged. Michael had also been under the influence of hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol at the time of the murder. Holton refused to comment on the specifics of the day of the shooting, but told Dateline that his family had begun to fall apart. Michael Holton called the sheriffs office, and a deputy came over to the home at the dads request. each side felt they knew what had happened on that september afternoon in 2016. to county sheriff bill franklin it was clear -- madison holton killed his parents after their threats to take him 4,012. 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. Madison got diagnosed with ADHD but, being hard-headed and stubborn, he refused to take the medicines for it, claiming that it made him feel unwell. Doggy day-care! 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. He will truly be missed!, Mike you were a very close friend and I will miss you a lot, wrote a friend.
