Deputies believe a Pensacola man shot and killed Napoleon Powell. A jury will decide.
A 29-year-old Pensacola man faces a jury trial Wednesday on a charge of second-degree murder for allegedly shooting a man in the head.
Escambia County Sheriff's deputies say Alexander Deloach fatally shot Napoleon Powell on Feb. 12, 2024, outside of a home in the 7000 block of Moore Road.
Investigators believe Powell was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time as it appears he was not the intended target.
When deputies were called to the scene, the person who lives at the residence told law enforcement that Powell left the home to warm up his car before leaving. The witness said three men approached him and became argumentative.
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The witness said "he heard three gunshots," and when he got to his front door "Powell was lying on the ground with blood coming out of his head."
Deputies found surveillance of the three men outside of the home, showing them "group up near the corner of the residence."
"They then quietly communicate with each other and coordinate an ambush of Powell and (the witness)," ECSO records say. "Shortly after the group leaves the camera view, three shots can be heard after which the suspects are seen running from the home."
The witness told law enforcement he sold marijuana regularly, which led investigators to believe the three men were there to rob the witness.
Two of the three men were unmasked, leading to positive identifications of Deloach and D'Angelo Cook-Humphrey, according to ECSO records. According to court records, Cook-Humphrey has not been charged with a crime associated with Powell's death.
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According to the ECSO, Deloach's girlfriend positively identified the man in the video from the night of Powell's death.
If convicted of second-degree murder, Deloach faces up to life in prison with out the possibility of parole.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Alexander Deloach murder trial begins in Napoleon Powell death