In a heartbreaking turn of events, James Abercrombie III, the man accused of killing two people outside a funeral repass in Brighton, Alabama, will remain in jail with no bond. Following a preliminary hearing on Monday, Judge Thomas Thrasher ruled to keep Abercrombie behind bars, though he did not revoke his bond outright, opting to make that decision at a later time.
Abercrombie faces charges for the tragic deaths of D’Angelo Samuel and his own uncle, Roderick Hall, who were shot outside the Brighton community center. Surveillance footage from the scene captured parts of the attack, showing the suspects arriving and leaving in a grey Jeep Wrangler, which investigators later linked to Abercrombie’s girlfriend, Bryanna Turner. Turner, who was initially uncooperative, is now facing charges for hindering prosecution. She eventually confirmed that Abercrombie had used her car on the day of the shooting.
Additional surveillance video from a Target store the day before the attack revealed Turner and Abercrombie getting out of the same Jeep, with Abercrombie wearing the same pants seen on the suspect in the shooting footage. Investigators also found Abercrombie’s wallet, shoes, and a mask in Turner’s apartment, the same mask believed to have been worn during the shooting.
Abercrombie had already been facing attempted murder charges from a prior incident in which he allegedly tried to kill Samuel on Halloween night the year before. Prosecutors revealed that Abercrombie had sent threatening messages to Samuel, indicating his intent to kill him the next time they crossed paths. Moreover, cell phone data places Abercrombie near the scene of the shooting on the day it occurred.
While no weapon has been recovered, authorities believe a rifle was used based on the footage. Abercrombie’s defense argues that the evidence is circumstantial, noting that no eyewitnesses have directly identified him as one of the shooters.
