CULLMAN, Ala. – William Thomas Maddux, 34, of Cullman County, on Sept. 3, 2024, was sentenced to 99 years in prison for the Nov. 12, 2017, shooting death of his stepfather, Perry Shoemake, according to Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker. A Cullman County jury found Maddux guilty of murder on June 28, 2024.
Following the four-day trial back in June, Crocker thanked the jury for their service and also thanked the Cullman Police Department, which he said did a great job on the case, from the first officer on scene to the investigators.
“Our law enforcement was under constant attack in this trial, but their professionalism prevailed,” Crocker said. “It was an honor to work with Mr. Shoemake’s family to achieve justice. I didn’t know Perry Shoemake, but I will never forget him.”
Shoemake, 56, of Cullman, was pronounced dead at the scene of 2017’s deadly incident, which occurred at 1829 Cottonwood Dr. SE in the Carrol Acres subdivision in Cullman.
A day later, Police Chief (then Lead Investigator) David Nassetta told The Tribune, “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.”
Walker County Circuit Court Judge Greg Williams presided over the trial in June, as well as the sentencing hearing.
“As I stated in June it was an honor to work with Perry Shoemake’s family to bring justice. Several members of his family spoke today at the sentencing hearing,” Crocker said in a statement posted to social media on Sept. 3. “We will continue to do what we promised to do and clear the backlog of older cases and bring justice to victims’ families.”
