Two charged with murder in shooting deathx Jonathan Willis
By Staff
Two men were arrested Thursday and charged in connection with the murder of a Tharptown man.
Bobby Ray Jones, 50, of Alabama 72 in Tuscumbia, and Bobby Joe Johnson, 75, of 5684 Franklin 87, were arrested and charged with murder Thursday, five days after 32 year-old Mitchell Robbins was found shot to death outside a home that he shared with Johnson.
Jones is accused of shooting Robbins in the mid-section with a sawed-off shotgun on Aug. 22.
Investigators believe an altercation earlier in the day resulted in Robbins' murder shortly after noon last Saturday. Officials believe that Johnson provided Jones with the murder weapon.
Jones told authorities that Robbins committed suicide while he stood just a few feet away. Investigators did not immediately press charges until forensic evidence could be tested this week.
"There were conflicting stories as well as people being involved who were under the influence at the time," Franklin County Sheriff Larry Plott said.
"We had to wait on forensics before we could move forward."
As the week progressed, individuals involved in the case began to make statements that linked them to the murder, officials said.
"These individuals did make statements," Plott said. "They indicated their involvement to a degree."
Two other men, J.C. Borden, 55, of Mount Hope, and Johnny Borden, 22, of Haleyville, were charged with first-degree hindering of prosecution for allegedly misleading authorities during the course of the investigation.
Jones and Johnson are being held in the Franklin County Jail on $400,000 bond each. J.C. Borden's bond was set at $25,000 and his nephew, Johnny Borden, had his bond set at $12,500.
For Robbins's family, it was a week of mystery and disbelief.
Fighting back tears, just moments after learning that authorities believe her brother was murdered, Rhonda Lawrimore said she never thought her brother would have committed suicide.
"It really hurts knowing that someone could have done this," she said.
"We have just been in suspense, just wondering, ever since this happened.
He would have done anything for anybody and I just didn't want anything like this to happen to him."
