Alabama to seek death penalty against man charged in Danville triple murder

MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — The State of Alabama says it will be seeking the death penalty against a man facing multiple capital murder charges for a 2020 shooting in Danville.

Carson Peters was indicted in August 2021 on four counts of capital murder and one count of first-degree assault in connection to the shooting that left three people dead and one injured in May 2020.

On Friday, November 3, the State of Alabama filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Peters, who will go on trial at the end of the month. The start date for Peters’ jury trial is currently set for Nov. 29.

Around 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 24, 2020, Decatur Police said officers were called to a shooting on Flint Creek Private Drive.

James Edward Miller, Tammy Renee Smith, and Carson Peters’ ex-wife Teresa Lynn Peters were killed in the shooting. Mary Kennedy, the mother of Teresa Peters and Tammy Smith, was injured in the shooting.

Court records show Carson and Teresa Peters were going through a divorce at the time, and Decatur Police confirmed the shooting was an isolated, domestic incident. Carson Peters filed for divorce in January, but around a week before the shooting, Teresa Peters asked the judge presiding over their divorce proceedings to hold Carson in contempt of court.

Those documents were filed on Thursday, May 21st. In the filing, she said she was living in their home and he moved out.

She said he came over unannounced and “locked the air conditioner units, as well as her personal property in the shed out back.” it goes on to say Carson Peters “then left the home and took the key with him refusing to open the shed.”

The filing states Teresa Peters “has been unable to obtain her personal belongings for a few months and there is currently no air conditioning in the home.” The document asked a judge to order Carson Peters to return her belongings.

Carson Peters surrendered to U.S. Marshals the day after the shooting at the Riverwalk Marina in Decatur. The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office assisted Decatur Police with the search.

If he is convicted on the capital murder charges, Carson Peters’ trial will go to a penalty phase where a jury will vote on the death penalty or life in prison without parole. The State of Alabama still allows a judge to impose a death sentence without a unanimous jury recommendation for death if at least 10 of 12 jurors recommend a death sentence.

Source: WHNT, Logan Sparkman, November 6, 2023

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