Man Arrested After "Viciously" Murdering 5 People, Including a Pregnant Woman
A man has been arrested and charged with six counts of capital murder Sunday after killing five people, including a pregnant woman, in Citronelle, Alabama.
According to a statement from police provided to NBC, Derrick Dearman, 27, allegedly broke into the home where his girlfriend was staying early Saturday morning and killed his victims using "multiple weapons," including several firearms and possibly an ax. Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich added that in her over 20 years as a prosecutor, she'd never seen a crime scene "where there were five people who were brutally and viciously murdered. That's what we have here."
Police were originally called to the Alabama house at approximately 1 a.m. Saturday after someone reported seeing a trespasser on the property. When police showed up at the scene, however, they were unable to find anyone and left. Dearman allegedly then returned to the house later in the evening, killing his victims in their sleep.
Prior to turning himself in, CNN reports Dearman then kidnapped his girlfriend, Laneta Lester, and a 3-month-old baby who had survived the attack, bringing them to his father's house in his home state of Mississippi. After he let them go, Lester immediately went to police to report what her boyfriend had done, explaining she'd been staying with relatives in order to escape his abuse. Dearman turned himself in to authorities shortly after.
The victims of the attack have been identified as Shannon Melissa Randall, 35; Robert Lee Brown, 26; Joseph Adam Turner, 26; Justin Kaleb Reed, 23; and Chelsea Marie Reed, 22, who was five months pregnant. Due to Alabama's fetal homicide law - which, in cases of criminal homicides, includes any "unborn child in utero at any stage of development, regardless of viability" - Dearman will also be tried for the death of the fetus.
People reports the extradition process has already begun. It's unclear at this time if Dearman has retained an attorney.
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