Hanceville man indicted on murder charge in Aug. 2019 wreck
CULLMAN, Ala. – A Hanceville man was arrested Wednesday, Nov. 13 after being indicted by a Cullman County grand jury on charges of murder, manslaughter, reckless driving and driving in the left center lane. The charges against Jacolby Connway Pitts, 31, stem from the...
Cullman County father pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2017 shooting death of son
CULLMAN, Ala. - Jones Chapel man Donald Wayne Trammell, 44, on Thursday pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the Dec. 24, 2017 shooting death of his son, Logan Wayne Trammell, 22. The plea was entered in the court of Cullman County Circuit Judge Gregory Nicholas....
Crane Hill couple sentenced to prison for payroll tax fraud
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Crane Hill husband and wife were sentenced to 20 months collectively in prison Thursday for failing to pay over payroll taxes, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Jay E....
U.S. Supreme Court decisions advance 6 Alabama capital sentences, 2 for murders of police officers
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Attorney Gen. Steve Marshall welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions on Monday not to review several Alabama death penalty cases, including two for the murders of police officers in Birmingham and Montgomery and another that was the State’s first prosecution for...
(Updated) Former AL Senate Majority Leader Zeb Little pleads guilty to 1st-degree theft of property
Updated 9-24-19 11:47 a.m.
CULLMAN, Ala. - Cullman native and former Alabama Senate Majority Leader Zebulon “Zeb” Little, 51, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of first-degree theft of property. According to Alabama Attorney Gen. Steve Marshall, whose office is handling the case, Little admitted...
Fite pleads guilty to BUI, gets 2 years probation
WINSTON COUNTY, Ala. - William Jackson Fite, 23, of Decatur, the driver of the boat from which Kelsey Starling, 26, of Troy disappeared during a collision July 4, 2019 on Smith Lake, and who was charged with boating under the influence in the case, pleaded...
Espy, Jr. pleads guilty to murder, Garner convicted of attempted murder
CULLMAN, Ala. - On Friday, Aug. 9, three days ahead of a trial scheduled on the Aug. 12, 2019 docket, Robert Gene Espy, Jr., 39, of Vinemont pleaded guilty to felony murder (murder committed during the commission of another crime, in this case burglary)...
Morgan County man who faked own death pleads guilty
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Morgan County man who faked his death pled guilty Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019 in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Rod Owens.
Jackson Matthew Hall, 28, of...
The wheels of justice: active homicide cases in Cullman County, part 2
Editor’s note: All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty.
CULLMAN, Ala. - The Tribune continues its review of pending homicide cases in Cullman County, and reports on their current status and actions taken this year.
Bradford Neal Meeks - reckless murder of Curt Wilson in...
Case of man accused of killing Tommy Piper heading to grand jury with additional charges
CULLMAN, Ala. - Cullman County District Court, with Circuit Judge Gregory Nicholas as authorized acting district judge on behalf of District Judge Rusty Turner, on Monday found that probable cause exists to send the murder case of Charles Patrick Wayne Burgess to a Cullman...
The wheels of justice: active homicide cases in Cullman County, part 1
Editor’s note: All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty.
CULLMAN, Ala. - It has been said that the wheels of justice turn slowly, and Cullman County is no exception, with active homicide cases dating back to 2013, based on incidents back to 2012. The...
BREAKING: Residents, organizations file suit against Tyson over spill, plant conditions
JASPER, Ala. - On Friday, the Sipsey Heritage Commission and Chandler Holdings, along with 40 individual property owners along the Mulberry and Sipsey Forks of the Black Warrior River, filed suit against Tyson Farms, Inc., River Valley Ingredients LLC, RVI Hanceville plant manager Jason...
Crane Hill man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison
CULLMAN, Ala. - United States District Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced Danny Ray Tucker, 51, of Crane Hill, on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 to 130 months, a little more than 10 years, in federal prison.
The sentence stems from a United States federal grand jury...
Meet Brooksie, the Cullman County Courthouse’s new facility dog
CULLMAN, Ala. - The Cullman County Courthouse on Monday officially welcomed its newest officer, Brooksie, a 2-year-old female labradoodle trained by Service Dogs Alabama (SDA).
SDA head trainer Ashley Taylor, who delivered Brooksie to Circuit Judge Gregory Nicholas Monday afternoon, told The Tribune:
“She’s fully trained. ...
Cullman courts are going to the dogs!
Alabama a national leader in use of facility dogs to ease stress in courts; coming to Cullman soon
MONTGOMERY
- Alabama’s courts are going to the dogs at an ever-increasing rate,
and it’s a great thing! Referred to as “facility dogs,” these specially
trained canine...
Bremen man’s 3rd trial in shooting of neighbor ends in mistrial
CULLMAN, Ala. - Jack Harold Wilson, 74, of Bremen this week made his third trial appearance in the shooting of his neighbor, with the case ending in a mistrial for a second time.
Wilson’s first trial ended in a mistrial when he reported a...
Hanceville man convicted in 35-year-old sex abuse case
Updated 6-12-19 6:52 p.m.
CULLMAN, Ala. - Hanceville area resident Glen Leon Yarbrough, 78, on Wednesday was found guilty of one count of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old. The conviction stems from accusations brought forth in 2018 for incidents that...
Out on bond: What has ‘free bail’ meant for Cullman County?
CULLMAN, Ala. - Since the institution of a federal judge’s injunction against Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry last fall, an injunction which requires him to “release all bail-eligible defendants on unsecured (non-monetary) appearance bonds,” the rate of suspects failing to show up for court...
First Veterans Treatment Court docket day declared success
CULLMAN, Ala. - On Thursday, Cullman County’s brand new Veterans Treatment Court (see www.cullmantribune.com/2019/05/30/cullman-county-veterans-treatment-court-gets-underway-today/) held its first docket day, and presiding Judge Wells “Rusty” Turner declared the opening a success. Three veterans officially entered the program, and seven others began the application process. Six...
Cullman County Veterans Treatment Court gets underway today
CULLMAN, Ala. - As of Thursday morning, Cullman County’s court system now gives veterans who struggle with the mental and emotional aftermath of their service a new means to deal with issues faced by many who have been to war, and which contribute to...
