The rape and sodomy trial of a former Killen police officer has been postponed until August.

According to courthouse records, the jury trial for Jarrod Gailen Webster, 26, of Lauderdale County Road 103 in Killen, was originally scheduled for April 15th.

Webster’s attorney Tim Case requested the trial be postponed.

A female motorist [...]]]>

The rape and sodomy trial of a former Killen police officer has been postponed until August.

According to courthouse records, the jury trial for Jarrod Gailen Webster, 26, of Lauderdale County Road 103 in Killen, was originally scheduled for April 15th.

Webster’s attorney Tim Case requested the trial be postponed.

A female motorist claims she was sexually assaulted by Webster on a traffic stop when he was on duty as a Killen Police officer. He was arrested November 17 of 2023, by the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department after he was indicted by a lauderdale county grand jury for first degree rape and first degree sodomy. The incident reportedly occurred on November 12th.

Lauderdale County Sheriff Joe Hamilton said Webster is being held at an undisclosed detention facility in North Alabama. Aniah’s law allows violent offenders to be held without bail.

Judge Ben Graves has reset the new trial date for August 19 at 8:30 am.

Matthew Blackburn

FLORENCE– According to authorities, Matthew Paul Blackburn, 28, of 209 Jordan Lane, Florence, surrendered to the Lauderdale County Detention Center this morning following an indictment by a Lauderdale County Grand Jury on charges of Rape and Sodomy.

The indictment is the result of a December 2016 case involving Blackburn and a [...]]]>

Matthew Blackburn

FLORENCE– According to authorities, Matthew Paul Blackburn, 28, of 209 Jordan Lane, Florence, surrendered to the Lauderdale County Detention Center this morning following an indictment by a Lauderdale County Grand Jury on charges of Rape and Sodomy.

The indictment is the result of a December 2016 case involving Blackburn and a female victim.

Detectives with the Florence Police Department were notified of the allegations in December and began investigating the case. Evidence from the case was presented to the Lauderdale County Grand Jury last week. The investigation revealed that Blackburn had met the female late last year. During the encounter, Blackburn is accused of forcibly raping the female, who is in her 20’s and performing other acts of sexual gratification without the consent of the female. The female victim, in this case, received medical treatment for serious injuries she sustained during the alleged assault.
After hearing testimony in this case the Grand Jury returned an indictment against Blackburn charging him with the offenses of Rape 1st and Sodomy 1st.
Blackburn was booked into the Lauderdale County Detention Center this morning and was released a short time later after posting bail in the amount of $100,000.