Stallworth Still Held In Alabama; Extradition Warrant To Be Sent To Alabama Governor

July 20, 2009

Donnie Wayne Stallworth will remain in an Alabama jail cell without bond while officials in Florida work to prepare a warrant to be sent to Alabama’s governor to return him to to face open counts of murder in connection with the deaths of Byrd and Melanie Billings.

donniestallworthjr1.jpgStallworth, 28, appeared before Escambia County (Ala.) Circuit Court Judge Bert Rice Monday afternoon in a probable cause hearing. Rice ruled that there is probable cause  to continue to hold Stallworth without bond. Stallworth was in the Brewton courtroom Monday afternoon, but he did not speak on his behalf. About two dozen supporters, including his mother, were in the courtroom.

Terry Hardy, an Escambia County (Fla.) investigator, was in court, testifying  that suspect Thomas Wayne Coldiron had identified Stallworth as one of the five inside the Billings home on July 9 when the couple was murdered. Coldiron told investigators that Stallworth did have a weapon. Investigators said that Stallworth is the man that carried safe out of the Billings home.

Escambia (Fla.) officials will now work to prepare an extradition warrant to be sent to Alabama Gov. Bob Riley to have Stallworth sent back to Florida. Florida officials will have up to 24 days to finish their paperwork.

Stallworth refused to waive extradition at his first court appearance last week. Monday afternoon’s probable cause hearing was to determine if the case documentation is complete, if Stallworth is charged in Florida, if he is the man charged in Florida and if he was in the state of Florida when the crime was committed before he fled to Alabama

At the time of the murders, Stallworth was assigned to the 1st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Hurlburt Field.  The 1999 T.R. Miller High School graduate is a Brewton native. His family still resides in the Brewton area.

Comments

2 Responses to “Stallworth Still Held In Alabama; Extradition Warrant To Be Sent To Alabama Governor”

  1. Kristi on July 22nd, 2009 9:52 pm

    perhaps they were warriors..in their minds

  2. Bill on July 21st, 2009 12:47 pm

    Hope this little wannabe thug enjoys his time behind bars. The military does not have room for this scumbags, they need warriors not cowardly little punks. Good ridance.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News