FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS ADVISORY
June 18, 2018
Steve Marshall
For More Information, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 2
ATTORNEY GENERAL STEVE MARSHALL ANNOUNCES ALABAMA SUPREME
COURT DENIES APPEAL OF COVINGTON COUNTY CAPITAL MURDER
CONVICTIONS AND SENTENCE OF DEATH
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the Alabama
Supreme Court has denied a petition for writ of certiorari seeking to appeal the capital
murder convictions and sentence of death of Oscar Doster. Doster, 43, of Andalusia,
was convicted in Covington County Circuit Court in 2006 for three counts of capital
murder relating to the death of Paul LeMaster.
Evidence presented at trial established that on November 4, 2002, four inmates escaped
from the Covington County jail, including Doster and his co-defendant, Bobby O’Lee
Phillips. The two went on a crime spree, and two days later stole guns and ammunition
from an unoccupied trailer in the area. Doster and Phillips then went to a nearby trailer
and Phillips shot and killed the owner of the trailer, Paul LeMaster, in the back while
LeMaster was in his trailer cooking dinner. Doster and Phillips then entered LeMaster’s
trailer and stole money and the keys to LeMaster’s truck. The two travelled to
Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, where they committed a string of burglaries. On
November 18, 2002, Texas State Troopers arrested Doster and Phillips near Sorora,
Texas bringing an end to their two-week crime spree.
The Covington County District Attorney’s office prosecuted the case. A Covington
County jury convicted Doster of three counts of capital murder. The trial judge
sentenced Doster to death. Doster’s subsequent attempts to have his convictions and
sentence reversed on appeal have been rejected by the courts. The Attorney General’s
Capital Litigation Division handled Doster’s case during the appeals process, including
Doster’s present petition to overturn his convictions and sentence. The Alabama
Supreme Court denied that request in a decision issued Friday, June 15.
Phillips was also convicted of capital murder for killing LeMaster, and was sentenced to
death.
501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.alabama.gov Page 2 of 2
Attorney General Marshall commended Deputy Attorney General Thomas Govan of
the Attorney General’s Capital Litigation Section for his successful work in this case.
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