Huntsville police investigating death on Alabama A&M University campus

HUNTSVILLE, Al.
Huntsville police are investigating a shooting death on the Alabama A&M University campus Saturday.
Officers responded to the 100 block of Chase Road at about 4:30 p.m. and found a victim in the bedroom of an apartment with a gunshot wound to the head, according to a police report.
The victim, whose name was not released, was taken to Huntsville Hospital, where he died, the police report stated.
Police spokesman Harry Hobbs said the investigation is ongoing and he could not release further details.
"We are doing a death investigation to see exactly what happened," Hobbs said.
The investigation was initially handled by the Alabama A&M police department, but Chief Monica Ray said she requested that Huntsville police take over the case Saturday evening.

Pipeline explodes in Marengo County, explosion heard for miles

 Linden, Al.
Marengo County EMA Director Kevin McKinney has reported an explosion apparently caused by a gas pipeline rupture. According to McKinney the explosion happened off Highway 69, near Rembert Hills Road south of Linden, just after 3:30 Saturday afternoon. It was heard for miles around, and witnesses reported seeing flames shooting the air. The explosion happened in a rural area, so no people or houses were nearby and no injuries were reported.
 Williams Gas, which owns the pipeline, has shut off that section of the pipeline.

Transco (the pipeline owned by Williams Gas)issued the following statement:
 "Certainly, this is a serious incident and we are very thankful that there were no reported injuries. We are extremely appreciative of the excellent response by local emergency response personnel, as well as Williams employees who instituted emergency shut-down procedures. Our focus now is on determining the cause of the incident to ensure that our neighbors and employees remain safe."

Two Decatur teens killed Friday in Morgan County wreck

DECATUR, Al.
Two Decatur teens were killed in fatal collision last night in Morgan County, the Alabama State Troopers reported today.
The accident occurred on Hudson Road about two miles west of Decatur, in Morgan County around 6:15 p.m. Nicholas Sawyer, 17, and his passenger, Bailey Robinson, 15, died. Both teens were wearing seat belts, the troopers reported.
Sawyer's car apparently collided head-on with the vehicle of Darrell Donaldson, 51, of Moulton. Donaldson was flown to Huntsville Hospital.

Huntsville police hope to have last laugh on serial burglars

HUNTSVILLE, Al.
Huntsville police said they're often arresting the same burglars over and over again, and during a recent case the suspect basically laughed during the booking and told police he'd be on the streets again soon.
"The frustration comes from the fact we are seeing a lot of repeat offenders being able to bond out," said Sgt. Mark Roberts of Huntsville police, speaking of the recent spike in home and commercial burglaries. "And then they recommit burglaries again and again.
"It's well-known out there. People committing crimes know that the system will allow them to be bonded out."
For example, Huntsville police arrested Marquez Antonio Sandifer, 28, on Wednesday and charged him with two counts of third-degree burglary and a violation of probation. It came a week after Sandifer was charged with two counts of third-degree burglary, violation of probation and menacing by other weapon. He had been released on bond.
Sandifer also has earlier burglary and other charges in Madison County. On the latest charge, the court granted no bond.
Michael Devon Dillard, 29, was also arrested Wednesday on two counts of third-degree residential burglary and driving with a suspended license. He was arrested Oct. 7 and charged with first- and third-degree burglary, on July 1 with two counts of third-degree burglary and has other past charges. His bond for his latest offenses has yet to be determined, and Roberts is hoping it will be revoked.
Huntsville Police Chief Mark Hudson and Madison County Sheriff Blake Dorning recently got Madison County Magistrate Lee Leggett to raise the bonds to try to deter the repeat burglars. Criminals who used to face a $10,000 bond to get out for first-degree burglary will now face a $60,000 bond, for example.
A cash bond requires the defendant to pay 10 percent of a bond's value, so the change would raise the defendant's cost of getting out of jail from about $1,000 to $6,000. Huntsville police are hoping the increase in bond amounts will reduce burglaries, which spiked 24 percent in September and October from the same period last year - 415 reported in 2010 versus 518 this year.
"We're hoping the increase in the bonds will make a difference in allowing them to be kept in jail and not committing more burglaries," Roberts said.
Under the new bond guidelines, Dillard's bond could be as high as $60,000 on four charges of third-degree burglary.
"We've been seeing it for years and years - serial burglars and people breaking into cars," Assistant District Attorney Randy Dill said. "We try to stay on top of it. If we're aware of something, we try and bring it back before the judge to have the bond increased or revoked. Sometimes, we're successful, sometimes we're not. That's the way it is."
Huntsville police have caught 15 to 20 burglars since the increase went into effect, Roberts said.

Former Alma Bryant teacher Martin Welch faces attempted murder charge

BAYOU LA BATRE, Al.
A local teacher was arrested Friday after grand jurors indicted him on a charge of attempted murder in a September shooting at his home.

Martin Ervind Welch

Martin Ervind Welch, 35, of Bayou La Batre, was booked into Mobile County Metro Jail shortly before 3 p.m. He was released at 3:06 p.m. with bail set at $25,000, according to jail records.
Welch had been on paid administrative leave from Alma Bryant High in south Mobile County since the shooting, school system spokeswoman Nancy Pierce said. Welch has been employed with the system since 1998, officials have said.
District Attorney Ashley Rich said Friday that the November grand jury returned the indictment last week.
“The victim was an 18-year-old former student,” Rich said, identifying the victim as Kevin Fox, who was living at the house with Welch and Welch’s parents.
Rich said that Fox and Welch “got into an argument and Welch pulled out a gun.”
Bayou La Batre police responded to a home in the Bay Oaks subdivision about 9 p.m. on Sept. 21 and discovered a man shot twice.
Police Detective Scott Dagg said that officers picked up Welch about noon Friday at the house.
If convicted, Welch faces a possible prison sentence of 10 years to life, Rich said.