William Thomas Maddux / Cullman Police Department
CULLMAN – A Cullman man who allegedly shot and killed his stepfather before turning the gun on himself has been charged with murder, according to Cullman Police Department Sgt. David Nassetta, the lead investigator on the case. William Thomas Maddux, 27, turned himself at the Cullman County Detention Center Friday morning.
"We talked with his attorney yesterday," said Nassetta, "and he agreed to turn himself in this morning." Nassetta said Maddux's bond was set at $50,000.
Perry Shoemake, 56, of Cullman, was pronounced dead at the scene of the deadly incident, which occurred at 1829 Cottonwood Dr. SE in the Carrol Acres subdivision in the city of Cullman on the evening of Nov. 12, 2017.
Maddux was airlifted from the scene and was in critical condition at UAB Hospital for several days. On Dec. 5, Nassetta confirmed that Maddux was awake and under psychiatric care at the medical center. Today he said Maddux was released from UAB around Christmas Day.
Lt. Gene Bates confirmed in the hours following the double shooting that the two people shot were stepfather and stepson. Cullman County Coroner Jeremy L. Kilpatrick identified the deceased as Shoemake.
Nassetta told The Tribune on Nov. 13, "What we believe is that the suspect, who is also the stepson of the man who is deceased, attempted to come into the house. He was not let in. The suspect ended up coming back and breaking in the back door of the house. He came in and there was an exchange of gunfire. The suspect then attempted to commit suicide. He suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head."
As to a possible motive for the shooting, Nassetta said the preliminary investigation has revealed that Maddux was upset because his mother and stepfather would not give him money, but said he thinks there's a lot more to it than that. "That's a pretty big leap to make," he said, "going from being upset over money to shooting someone and attempting to kill yourself."
Bates said no one else was injured, although there was someone else at home when the shooting happened.
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