DOTHAN, AL— On November 29, Hardy Gray was found shot dead in his home, with 5-6 gunshot wounds, when a coworker looked for him as he didn’t show up for work that day.
An investigation led by the Houston County Sheriff’s Office was ongoing for this incident for the past two and a half months.
On November 30, the first suspect, Cierra Goodson, was arrested.
On January 6, the second suspect, Mykeila Rowser, was arrested.
Then on January 22, a 16-year-old was arrested and became the third suspect in the case.
On January 23, the fourth suspect, Elijah Hazell, was arrested. Lastly, on February 2, the fifth suspect, a 17-year-old, turned himself into Houston County Sheriff’s Office and was arrested.
All five are facing capital murder charges. Goodson, Rowser, and Hazell could be facing the death penalty.
“A capital murder robbery is always death-penalty eligible, doesn’t mean they will necessarily get it, but they’re always eligible, but the other side of the coin if you are under 18, it removes that possibility,” Houston and Henry County District Attorney Patrick Jones III said.
Allegedly, Goodson was an acquaintance of Hardy Gray, so that’s where they will start on determining the motive of the murder.
“They’ve seen each other a few times, the exact number I have no idea, but they were familiar, and then the other suspects came in through that suspect and the motive came out as let’s rob him,” Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza said.
As two guns were used in the attempted robbery, it raises the question of who actually pulled the trigger of the fatal shot.
“I won’t get into that right now, but there were two weapons used, we know that,” Valenza said. “The case is never closed until we absolutely get a conviction from, and we finished all five of them.”
This case has a set court date of March 4, but the district attorney says it has the possibility of being moved.
