KJ Freeman – Shoals Insider

Court of Criminal Appeals Upholds Capital Murder Conviction in Colbert County

Staff — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 06:55:56 +0000

Peter Gerald Capote

(MONTGOMERY)—Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that on Friday the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the convictions of Peter Capote for capital murder and first-degree assault. Capote, 26, of Muscle Shoals, was convicted in Colbert County Circuit Court in April 2018 for the murder of Ki-Jana Freeman. Capote was also convicted of first-degree assault and shooting into an occupied vehicle.

The evidence at trial showed that on March 1, 2016, Capote, along with three other members of the Almighty Imperial Gangsters, lured Freeman and Tyler Blythe to the Spring Creek Apartments in Tuscumbia with the intention of murdering Freeman because of their belief that Freeman burglarized the clubhouse of the Almighty Imperial Gangsters and allegedly stole an X-Box. Shortly after Freeman and Blythe arrived at the apartment complex, Capote and another member of the gang exited their vehicle and fired numerous shots into Freeman’s Ford Mustang, causing Freeman’s death and seriously injuring Blythe.

The case was prosecuted at trial by the office of Colbert County District Attorney Bryce Graham Jr. The jury found Capote guilty of murder made capital because it was committed while Freeman was in a vehicle, and Capote was sentenced to death. Capote subsequently sought to have his conviction and sentence reversed on appeal.

The Attorney General’s Capital Litigation Division handled the case during the appeals process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm Capote’s convictions. The Court did so in a decision issued Friday, January 10. Attorney General Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General Christopher Reader for his successful work in this case.

The other shooter, Benjamin Young, also was tried, convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. His case is pending before the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Hubbard gets life without parole in Xbox murder

Staff — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 18:22:29 +0000

Charles Thomas Hubbard of Midland Avenue Muscle Shoals

TUSCUMBIA–Charles Thomas Hubbard was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for his role in the shooting death of KJ Kijanna Freeman in 2016 in a dispute over an Xbox.

Colbert County Circuit Court Judge Jackie Hatcher went along with the jury’s recommendation at this morning’s sentencing hearing. Hatcher could have overridden the jury and sentenced Hubbard to death.

Hubbard was found guilty on June 28. At that time the jury recommended the sentence of life without parole.

KJ Freeman and 19-year-old Tyler Blythe were both shot while sitting inside of an automobile at Spring Creek Apartments in Tuscumbia.

Jeff Roland

ShoalsInsider.com – Keeping You Informed

Young gets lethal injection plus twenty years

Staff — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 17:58:58 +0000

Benjamin Owen Young

TUSCUMBIA–This morning Colbert County Circuit Court Judge Hal Hughston agreed with the jury and sentenced Benjamin Owen Young to die by lethal injection for murdering KJ KiJana Freeman back in March of 2016.Young had been found guilty of Capital Murder and assault 1st degree back in February. Hughston added 20 years to the sentence for the assault charge.

The shooting death of Freeman occurred in the parking lot of Spring Creek Apartments in Tuscumbia. A teenager was with Freeman at the time. Tyler Blythe, who was 17 at the time, was also injured in the shooting.

Young will now be transferred from the Colbert County Jail to William C. Holman Prison, that houses the death chamber.

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