FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS ADVISORY
May 27, 2015
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Alabama Attorney General
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AG ANNOUNCES THAT COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS
UPHOLDS MORGAN COUNTY CAPITAL MURDER CONVICTION
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Luther Strange announced that the Alabama
Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday upheld the capital murder conviction of Darrius Oneal
Sherrod. Sherrod, 25, of Decatur, was convicted in the Morgan County Circuit Court in June
of 2014 for the murder of Matthew Jackson.
Evidence presented at trial showed that on September 15, 2010, Sherrod instructed his
girlfriend, Melena Williams, to initiate text messages with the victim, Jackson, and Tyler
Clark, who was a passenger in Jackson’s truck, in order to locate them. The girlfriend,
Williams, testified that she witnessed Sherrod pull his vehicle beside Jackson’s truck, move
his arm out the window with a gun, and fire at least five shots toward Jackson, Clark and
another person who was standing next to the passenger’s side of the truck. Sherrod then
drove away. Initially Sherrod hid the gun in Williams’ dumpster, but later instructed her to
move the gun to her bedroom. Jackson died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
Williams later told law enforcement where to find Sherrod’s gun.
The case was prosecuted at trial by Morgan County District Attorney Scott
Anderson’s office. Sherrod was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of
parole and subsequently sought to have his conviction reversed on appeal.
The Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Division handled the case during the
appeals process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm the conviction.
The Court did so in a decision issued on Friday, May 22.
Attorney General Strange commended Assistant Attorney General Jean Therkelsen of
the Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Division for her successful work in this case.
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501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.alabama.gov
