FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
July 12, 2017
For More Information, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Steve Marshall
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 1
Alabama Attorney General
AG MARSHALL ANNOUNCES COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS
UPHOLDS CHOCTAW COUNTY MURDER CONVICTION
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama
Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday upheld Melton Crosby III’s convictions for murder, two
counts of attempted murder, and shooting into an occupied vehicle. Crosby, 31, of
Waynesboro, was convicted in March of 2016 for the murder of Bandarius “Dodie” Hill, for two
counts of attempted murder for attempting to murder Tyris Miller and Jamar Thompson, and
for shooting into an occupied vehicle.
The evidence at trial showed that in the early morning hours of September 18, 2011, a
confrontation occurred in the parking lot of the Selebras Night Club near Silas in Choctaw
County, resulting in the discharge of 47 rounds from an AK-47 type assault rifle and 14 rounds
from a 9-mm handgun. Crosby and two codefendants, Brandon Yates and Cedric Jones, were
charged with the murder of Brandarius “Dodie” Hill, two counts of attempted murder for
attempting to murder Tyris Miller and Jamar Thompson, and shooting into an occupied vehicle.
They were tried separately.
Following a jury trial, Crosby was convicted of the charged offenses. Yates also was
convicted, but the Court of Criminal Appeals had earlier reversed and remanded the Yates
conviction on July 8, 2016, and retrial of his case is pending. Charges against Jones were
dropped in return for his testimony against Crosby.
The Crosby case was prosecuted at trial by Choctaw County District Attorney Spencer
Walker’s office. Crosby was sentenced to concurrent sentences of 40 years’ imprisonment for the
murder conviction, 40 years’ imprisonment for each attempted murder conviction, and 10 years’
imprisonment for the conviction for shooting into an occupied vehicle. He subsequently sought
to have his convictions reversed on appeal.
The Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Section handled the case during the appeal
process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm the convictions. The
Court did so in a decision issued on Friday, July 7. Attorney General Marshall commended
Assistant Attorney General Yvonne Saxon of the Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Section
for her successful work in this case.
–30–
501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us
