Want to be alerted when breaking news happens? 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. Better late than never! "Madison is released from any obligations of his bond. But Franklin contended early in the investigation that Madison Holton had a self-proclaimed issue with becoming agitated if he had not used marijuana and Adderall. Like, the people I slept with, like, what do they think about it right now? he asked in the call. Clear skies. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. May your soul R.I.P baby girl.. It was just an extremely hard thing to do with everything else that was going on. 'They obviously were trying to discipline their son, and they had had problems with him in the past,' Franklin said at the time. According to Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin, the sheriffs department responded to a home along Highway 63 around 5 p.m. Cofer was inside a nearby home stocked with guns. Jesse Madison Holton, then 17, was charged with murdering his parents Mike and April Holton at their home in Eclectic, Alabama in September 2016. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Frustrated, Michael asked the deputy how they could get the courts involved. "He maintained that position today. Mike and Aprils marriage had ruptured, and they were not living in the same home at the time of their deaths, according to the Elmore & Autauga News. However, that never happened, as, eleven minutes after the deputy left, another 911 call was made, reporting a shooting at the Holton residence and the death of Mike and April. There were several times I woke up in jail and thought I was in a dream. Another lay dying. I guess Ive grieved my parents deaths. April Owenbys father and brother, Charles Owenby and Michael Evans, have publicly asserted their belief the deaths were a murder-suicide and that Michael Holton killed his wife, then turned the gun on himself. It really hurts. 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. 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. Holton told deputies he was trying to discipline his son. There was evidence of drug use recovered at the home, he said. The dad was upset the house was trashed, the sheriff told Elmore & Autauga News. He is going to a local community college to finish his high school education. I thought about my friends a lot when I was in jail, about what they were doing. Choose wisely! The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. 'Could you tell there was tension in the house?' 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. He missed his senior year at Elmore County High School. ECLECTIC, Ala. -- A central Alabama teenager was jailed on a murder charge after an apparent dispute over a house party and drugs led to the shooting deaths of . Charlotte is daddy's double! A sheriffs investigator says that Madison Holton left his residence and told his neighbor that his parents were involved in a physical altercation. Jeffrey Cofer, 59, of Eclectic, was charged with attempted murder. Madison told authorities that after the deputy left, his parents went into a bedroom to talk and began to argue. 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 . Ive never seen somebody try to commit suicide in such a weird, unique manner, Franklin said of the gunshot wounds location. 20-year-old Johnny Letron Brown of Tuskegee; 19-year-old Willie George Brown Jr. of Auburn; Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, of Tuskeegee. The new indictment is the latest development in a case thats had many twists and turns. Hearings were scheduled this afternoon for the McCullough brothers but the judge said reporters would not be allowed to attend because they are juveniles. He had just turned 17 when his parents. 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. What had happened in just 11 minutes? 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. They dont serve pizza in the Elmore County Jail, Madison Holton said. Create a password that only you will remember. Mr. When he was released on bond just a few days before Christmas, his first meal was pizza. Heres everything that we know. Thanks to her new 16m Harry Potter TV deal, it's JK Rowling who's having the last laugh over Scientists discover what happens seconds before you die - activity in the brain and heart RAMPS UP, Trendy hard floors could be to blame for your foot pain (and there is a simple way to stop it). '11 Minutes' on Dateline airs Friday at10pm/9c on NBC. Its hard to explain, Madison Holton said. He told the newspaper that he was in shock when his parents died, which is why he may not have shown that much emotion. But Franklin said authorities believed Holton had slipped out of the handcuffs or managed to retrieve the key and remove them, before shooting his parents. 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. Most accurate 2021 crime rates for Eclectic, AL. asked Mankiewicz. @JoshMankiewicz has the details in an all-new #Dateline Friday at 10/9c on @NBC. And when April turned nine, she also went to live with her brothers at the Owenby household. One grand jury indicted him of the death of his father, Mike Holton, but cleared him on the death of his mother, April Holton. #Dateline all new Friday at 10/9c on @NBC. 'Whenever things started to fall down, it just got worse and worse,' he said. 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. . All rights reserved (About Us). 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 man charged in Blanchards kidnapping and murder, Ibraheem Yazeed, had been released from jail on a $280,000 bond after being charged with kidnapping, robbery and attempted murder from a January 2019 incident in Montgomery. I hope you have fun playing your music for our lord because I know he will enjoy hearing it. 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Rest in peace., Jesse Madison Holton: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. It was definitely abundantly clear that (Michael Holton) wanted to kill himself, Evans told The Herald in August, citing a six-to-eight page suicide manifesto Holton wrote and Evans said the Elmore County Sheriffs Office found. For more on this case and others like it, watch". 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. This young man amazes me. Jesse Madison Holton, the Alabama teen accused of shooting both his parents dead in 2016, is speaking out for the first time in years to maintain his innocence, Holton, then 17, was charged with murdering his parents Mike and April Holton (pictured all together) at their home in Eclectic, Alabama in September 2016. The station reported that the bullet entered the back left side of his (Mike Holtons) head and exited through the front right. According to The Montgomery Advertiser, testimony described the parents wounds this way: Mike Holton was shot in back of the head, on the left sidewith the bullet exiting the front of his head. I need to get out of Elmore County and start putting this behind me, he said. His life was devoted to serving people and his community. They were not invited but knew of the party and met up there from Auburn and Tuskegee. Some parts 2023 Advameg, Inc. Crime rate in Eclectic, Alabama (AL): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map. The gun had been fired, Thornton said. She's got a right Lotte cheek with tantrums, feisty remarks and bossing her brothers about. Apr 29, 2023,01:00pm EDT. There was blood splatter, but none of it was on Jesse. The City-Data.com crime index weighs serious crimes and violent crimes more heavily. And its Season 4 episode, Two Families, chronicling the brutal murder of husband and wife April and Mike Holton, examines the same concept. 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. Michael, who died at the scene, had one gunshot wound to the head. I think Michael couldnt face the world knowing that he killed his wife and the only option left for him was to end his own life, Chris said. Majority of British public think Charles should not apologise for slavery, new poll shows, Even most republicans see no benefit in abolishing the monarchy, new poll reveals. 1 Bestselling Single In America . New indictment handed down in Eclectic double homicide. If Michael, a former Mayor, shot his soon to be ex-wife and then himself, he would have had to place the gun upside down and angle it with his left hand to make the second shot, which seems highly improbable. 1,243. The Met Gala begins! I want to be a big brother, but I think its a good idea if I wait for them to reach out first.. 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. 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? One of the guns was found sitting on the chest of Holstons lifeless body. Michael Holton said party-goers had trashed the house and deputies later found drug paraphernalia and evidence of drug activity. Holtons attorney, Thomas J. Azar Jr. said previously an expert has examined the note and determined the handwriting is that of Michael Holton. Its hard to explain, Madison Holton said to the newspaper. Based on the unusual positioning of the bullet wound, the designation of homicide has not changed. Mikes diaries also indicated a man who felt like he couldnt go on without his marriage. Detailed information about poverty and poor residents in Eclectic, AL Compare current foreclosures near Eclectic, AL: #1 Central Plank Rd Eclectic, AL 36024 1,757 sq.ft 1 baths - beds #2 Jackson Ln Wetumpka, AL 36093 2,647 sq.ft 4 baths 4 beds $339,800 #3 8th St Tallassee, AL 36078 1,652 sq.ft 1 baths 2 beds $100,000 #4 Grier Rd Wetumpka, AL 36092 Michael, with a gunshot wound to the back of his head, was pronounced dead at the scene, whereas April, who was breathing at the time, was taken to the hospital, but unfortunately, she passed away a day later as well, from severe head trauma. All rights reserved. The deputy wounded in the shooting was life-flighted to Baptist Medical Center South in Montgomery. 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. 'The bullet went through one of her fingers and then into her head. My favorite TV show is 'The Walking Dead.' He was arrested shortly after the shootings and spent one year and three months in the Elmore County Jail before being released on bond Dec. 18, 2017. There were times that I felt so helpless. 'Yeah, sometimes I could,' Holton responded. Madison Holton spoke to Dateline. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Jesse Madison Holton. Despite all this, in late 2018, the District Attorneys office dropped all the charges against Jesse. I [expletive] a murderer.. According to Franklin, the suspect has a mental health issue. But I also pray for my family., Asked how the suspects are holding up, Darden said, Theyre messed up. Investigation Discoverys American Monster utilizes one-on-one interviews and archival personal home videos to showcase how, sometimes, the most terrifying criminals hide in plain sight. 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. We did have fingerprints, but they were not Jesse Holtons fingerprints, said Houston. 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. Copyright 2022 WSFA 12 News. Crime: 13A-6-62 - Second Degree Rape . The couple returned home to find their house in complete disarray. Michael had also been under the influence of hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol at the time of the murder. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. James Michael Strickland, 43, of. Cofer was taken into custody around midnight, Franklin added. Holton indicated he would do so. 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. Mankiewicz asked. that's what happened in eclectic, alabama, after the killing of april and michael holton. Michael Holton was also found with defensive wounds.. The shootings occurred on September 11, 2016. The ratio of all residents to sex offenders in Eclectic is 101 to 1. And if you here curious about where he is now, then youve come to the right place. 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. Holton told investigators that his father had killed his mother before turning the gun on himself. So I caught up with 'The Walking Dead'in the office. Holton told authorities that his father shot his mother before turning the gun on himself. The separated couple was found dead inside Mike Holtons home, and it was their eldest son, Jesse Madison Holton, then 17, who was charged, as an adult, with first-degree murder in both their deaths. Has he put that life, the alcohol and the drugs, behind him? Cofer shot eight rounds, Franklin said. Witnesses also told police that he had a history of anger issues. At about 4 p.m. on the day of the shooting, Franklin said his department received a call from Michael Holton who, along with Owenby, was upset because Madison had thrown a party the previous night at their house. Seeing double! April was also there because their sons rebellious phase was the one thing the former couple could agree upon without a doubt. He was dead by the time deputies arrived #Dateline all new tonight at 10/9c with @JoshMankiewicz on @NBC pic.twitter.com/bkJHR0mso1, Dateline NBC (@DatelineNBC) April 19, 2019. Twitter/mugshot Special Agent Jess Thornton, the lead investigator in the case, testified there were 50 to 60 people inside the hall, which is 38-feet-long and 26-feet-wide. 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. 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. 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. Now, Holton will tell his story at 10/9C on NBCs Dateline on the evening of April 19, 2019. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The designation of homicide has not changed. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Clear skies. I know the gun as covered in blood, so if the gun was covered in blood there had to be blood on him. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). Michael Holton called the sheriffs office, and a deputy came over to the home at the dads request. 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. 1,578. Madison Holton was originally charged in the deaths of both his parents. Those were a 9 millimeter, 22 caliber, 40 caliber and 45 caliber. When the deputy left the home, Madison had been handcuffed with his hands behind his back. So there was no way April could have shot herself either. April Holton, 37, died a day later from severe head trauma. A nightmare.. And he has some relationships to restart, particularly his two younger brothers. Higher means more crime, U.S. average is 254.8. 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. He will be moving out of Elmore County in the coming weeks. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Sheriff Bill Franklin said that deputies . in scientology a smoker is someone who in a past life fell into a volcano, says another. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. When the police arrived at the scene a few moments later, they found both April and Michael lying on the floor of a bedroom, with a gun in between them. DNA LEADS TO ARREST IN COLD CASE MURDERS OF TWO ALABAMA GIRLS, REPORTS SAY. or redistributed. 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. He gladly traveled to New York after 9-11 and helped many families. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. I just thank God that he kept my head on straight through the whole thing. He claimed his parents went into the bedroom and got involved in a physical fight. Mike Holton, a former mayor of Eclectic, died Sunday at the scene, the family's home in the 2000 block of Lindsey Road, Franklin said. She later died from her injuries. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Crime: 13A-6-62 - Second Degree Rape, Conviction date: 2006-08-06, Jurisdiction: Alabama. All that came on the heels of the events of the day of the deaths. 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. Holton will be arraigned in Elmore County on April 26, 2018. A month later, authorities found Blanchards body in rural Macon County. They were troubled by his attitude about the deaths. Investigators also believed Michael would have had to fire the weapon with his left-hand, even though he was right-handed. In the year 2016, there were 69 reported crimes in Eclectic, which gave the city a crime rate of 6,673 per 100,000 persons. "The case is over," Azar said, Monday. ALABAMA TEACHER ARRESTED AFTER GUN DISCHARGES IN HIS POCKET INSIDE A CLASSROOM OF FIRST GRADERS. Mike restrained Holton in handcuffs and called the sheriff's department. 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. I learned a lot in a good way. But just eleven minutes later, the police received another 911 call, this time from Holtons neighbor, who said that Jesse, still handcuffed, came over to their house., frantic, talking about his parents physically fighting and his father holding a gun against his mother. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. For more on this case and others like it, watch"Dateline: Secrets Uncovered," airing Wednesdays at 8/7c on Oxygenor stream episodes here. Just 11 minutes later, Holton appeared at his neighbor's house and said his parents were fighting. 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.. Investigators initially believed it looked like a murder-suicide but after the state pathologist determined Michael had been shot in the back of the head, the death was classified as a homicide.