Capital Murder Verdict Returned In Auburn Football Player Murders

((HT: WTVM-TV/OANow.com, Taylor))

Desmonte Leonard was found guilty in the capital murders three people- two of them former Auburn University football players. DeMario Pitts, along with Lowndes High grad Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips were shot and killed at an Auburn, Alabama apartment complex in an incident in June 2012. Three others were injured in the shootings.

Lee County (AL) jurors found Leonard guilty on all but one of the six charges stemming from the shooting:

2nd degree assault for the shooting of Eric Mack
2nd degree assault for the shooting of Xavier Moss
1st degree assault for the shooting of John Robertson
The attempted murder of DeAngelo Benton
Capital murder for "killing two or more people in the same act"- Christian and Phillips

Leonard was found not guilty for attempted murder.

For the Taylor recap of the case that brought Leonard to trial:

During the trial, witness testimony indicated that prior to the shooting, Leonard had gotten involved in an altercation with former Auburn football player DeAngelo Benton, who instigated the quarrel.

Leonard’s attorneys contended Leonard feared for his life and fired the gun in self-defense. However, prosecutors argued Leonard was never in real danger and exhibited goal-oriented behavior during the shooting.

Without giving much detail, Leonard said she and Leonard’s other attorneys had a plan for how to present evidence to the jury to not give him the death penalty.

Here's Sharonda Woods, a sister of one of those who were murdered, discussing the verdict after everyone exited the courthouse
WTVM.com-Columbus, GA News Weather

Wednesday, a jury begins the process of deciding the death penalty or life in prison without parole for Leonard.

Monday Auburn Update: Leonard Still On The Loose (PM UPDATE: Leonard Surrenders)

Auburn (AL) Police Chief Tommy Dawson had a quick press conference this morning...

Desmonte Leonard is still on the loose and the reward information on the arrest and conviction of him in the shooting is now worth $30,000 as Auburn University and the City of Montgomery have now added dollars.

Dawson is now imploring Leonard to turn himself in: "We're not going to stop. We're going to apprehend him sooner or later. His family has gone through enough and the case needs to be resolved today."

Leonard's mother, in a conversation with Dawson, admitted that she would tell her son to turn himself in if she talked to him now.

Dawson also denied that the police forces went to the wrong house in the East Montgomery subdivision.

"What happened in Montgomery shouldn't have happened," Dawson admitted. "I do think we don't need to think about what happened in Montgomery last night." Dawson, however, continually praised Montgomery PD and all the other jurisdictions involved. The 35 to 40 officers acted on the strength of a 9-1-1 call that led all parties to believe he was housed there.

Dawson said they are not going to rest until "this person" is brought into custody and there isn't anything he would have done differently- other than keeping the actual event from happening in the first place.

Dawson said that Leonard's mother has left messages for her son telling him to turn himself in. But he wanted to try and make sure that the focus was taken away from what happened in Montgomery last night.

"If we have to go to 20 houses in the same way, we're going to do it. I'll activate every officer we've got. If he's in a neighborhood, we can't take any chances."

There is a City of Montgomery press conference planned for 1230 eastern time...

Here's the Monday Montgomery presser...
((HT: al.com))


More when we know more...

2200 UPDATE: Leonard has surrendered to authorities at the Federal Courthouse in Montgomery.

2 Arrested in connection to Auburn Shooting (PM UPDATE: Montgomery House Surrounded)

Desmonte Leonard

((ht: al.com))

No, they haven't found the accused shooter Desmonte Leonard, but Auburn Police did make two arrests Monday afternoon in the incident from Saturday night/Sunday morning that left 3 people dead and 3 others injured.

18-year old Jeremy Thomas was taken into custody and charged with hindering the investigation. Police are in the process of questioning him about the chain of events leading up to the shooting.

Also, Montgomery, Alabama police arrested 41-year old Gabriel Thomas and charged him with providing false information.

Read more about the arrests from AL.com RIGHT HERE

Unfortunately, the multitude of agencies searching for Leonard haven't found him yet. Both the U.S Marshall Service and the FBI are now involved in the state wide search.

Auburn football player Eric Mack, who was shot in the buttocks, was released from the hospital late Sunday and returned to the team's football center Monday morning where he was warmly welcomed by friends and teammates.

No word yet, that we know of, on services for 20-year old DeMario Pitts of Auburn or former Tiger football players Ed Christian and LaDarius Phillips.

We'll keep monitoring this story and let you know when we hear of Desmonte Leonard's arrest.

2010 UPDATE: Montgomery police have surrounded a house in East Montgomery and are operating under the assumption that Leonard is in the building. Police have not divulged the relationship between the house and why it would be the one occupied at present...

2120 UPDATE: Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange is calling the asituation at the house in East Montgomery as "a waiting game." Tear gas had been deployed at one moment toward the attic, and the feeling of all the manpower on hand is that the police forces will wait it out.

"Time is on our side. We know where someone is," Mayor Strange said. "I can only reiterate that we have two independent confirmations that we know it is that person. But whoever is in that house doesn't want to come out."

Strange is listing "a possibility" that the individual in the attic may be the subject of the manhunt and that the forces there will use the necessary force to remove the individual holed up safely.

One early note, it is now being disclosed that Ed Christian was attempting to break up the disagreement before he was shot and killed.

2210 UPDATE: The tactical team is inside the residence and has attempted to make contact with the individual that is, seemingly, holed up in the attic. The lower floor has been secured according to Montgomery Director of Public Safety Colonel Chris Murphy and the tactical unit is putting cameras in strategic points within the house. The units are also making their way to the upper levels of the house.

"We hear coughing and movement along with thermal imaging. Something is up there. It doesn't mean that the suspect is up there. At this time, I don't want us to jump to a conclusion," Mayor Todd Strange added.

0045 UPDATE Tuesday: The tactical unit is looking to do a more thorough job in the attic and Mayor Strange says that the situation is no different than earlier in the evening.

Roughly 30 to 40 people are in the process of letting the situation continue to play out. Early in the morning (according to Mayor Strange 8 or 9AM), there should be another press briefing- unless the situation ends sooner. The police personnel on site are planning to interrogate the person who called 9-1-1 and started the search in the house and/or siege in East Montgomery. No verbal contact has still been made with the individual they are in contact with in the house.

Two separate leads were given to Montgomery Police and technology has been used (and given positive results) hearing "human indicators" an individual is in the attic.

"We're not done and we're not going to be done until the individual is in custody," Colonel Murphy said at the last presser of the evening.