Fletcher Ellis Jr., 36, of Wetumpka, will await a jury’s decision in Alexander City on Wednesday on two counts of attempted murder.
When court adjourned Tuesday afternoon, Fifth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Steve Perryman was considering whether the jury would hear a self-defense instruction in the stabbing of Michael Ellis and Donzell Drake Jr.
kAmkDA2?m%96 :?4:56?E E@@< A=246 yF?6 `c[ a_a_[ H96? u=6E496C H6?E E@ 9:D 4@FD:? |:4926=’D 9@FD6 2==6865=J E@ A:4< FA D@>6 >2:=] u=6E496C 2?5 |:4926= 8@E :?E@ 2? 2C8F>6?E E92E EFC?65 A9JD:42=[ 2?5 3@E9 |:4926= 2?5 sC2<6 6?565 FA DE23365] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mp44@C5:?8 E@ u=6E496C’D E6DE:>@?J[ :E H2D |:4926= H9@ H2D E96 :?:E:2= 288C6DD@C] u=6E496C E6DE:7:65 96 H6?E :?E@ |:4926=’D <:E496? 2?5 8@E D@>6 7:D9 |:4926= 925 366? 4@@<:?8] w6 2=D@ 8C23365 2 366C 7C@> E96 C67C:86C2E@C] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mu=6E496C D2:5 96 H2D H62C:?8 2 7246>2D< 5F6 E@ E96 r~'xs\`h A2?56>:4 2?5 |:4926= <6AE 2D<:?8 9:> 23@FE E96 7246>2D<[ 6G6? 2EE6>AE:?8 E@ AF== :E @77] uC@> E96C6[ E9:?8D 8@E A9JD:42= 2D u=6E496C EC:65 E@ =62G6] u=6E496C E6DE:7:65 |:4926= 8C23365 9:D ?64< 7C@> 369:?5] w6 D2:5 :E H2D @FED:56 E96 9@FD6 H96? |:4926= H2D ;@:?65 3J sC2<6[ 2?5 FA E@ EH@ @E96CD[ H9@ H6C6 ECJ:?8 E@ “;F>A” 9:>] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mu=6E496C E6DE:7:65 96 AF==65 9:D A@4<6E <?:76 @FE 367@C6 86EE:?8 :? E96 42C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“|:4926= 8C23365 >6 3J >J 2C>D ECJ:?8 E@ AF== >6 @FE E96 42C[ D@ x DEF4< 9:> @?6 E:>6 2?5 96 76== E@ E96 8C@F?5[” u=6E496C E6DE:7:65] “x H2D ECJ:?8 E@ 86E 9:> 324< D@ x 4@F=5 =62G6]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mw@H6G6C[ @E96C 6G:56?46 E@=5 2 5:776C6?E DE@CJ] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mx? sC2<6’D E6DE:>@?J[ 96 D2:5 96 H2D A=2J:?8 32D<6E32== H:E9 |:4926= 2?5 E96:C 7C:6?5[ y6C6>:29[ AC:@C E@ u=6E496C’D 2CC:G2= 2E E96 9@FD6] w6 D2:5 96 42>6 E@ E96 9@FD6 E@ A=2J 32D<6E32== 2?5 92?8 @FE H:E9 9:D 3C@E96C[ 2?5 56?:65 A@DD6DD:?8 2 H62A@? 2E E96 :?4:56?E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mw6 D2:5 96 H2=<65 E@ 9:D G69:4=6 E@ 4964< 9:D A9@?6 2D 96 =67E :E :? 9:D 42C H9:=6 A=2J:?8 32D<6E32==] w6 H2D C6EFC?:?8 EH@ >:DD65 42==D 7C@> 9:D >@E96C H96? 96 ?@E:465 y6C6>:29 2=6CE65 sC2<6 E@ 4@>6 @FED:56]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?msC2<6 DE6AA65 @FE @7 E96 G69:4=6 E@ D66 |:4926= 2?5 u=6E496C :?E6C24E:?8 H:E9 6249 @E96C[ ?@E J6E C62=:K:?8 E96C6 H2D 2? :>A6?5:?8 2=E6C42E:@?] sC2<6 D2:5 D9@CE=J 27E6C 96 ?@E:465 E96> :?E6C24E:?8 H:E9 @?6 2?@E96C[ E96 EH@ 3C@<6 :?E@ 2? 2=E6C42E:@?] w6 8@E :? 36EH66? E96> E@ D6A2C2E6 E96>] w6 6IE6?565 3@E9 9:D 2C>D E@ AFD9 E96> @77 @7 @?6 2?@E96C[ H9:49 :D H96? 96 76=E 2 DEC:<6 @? 9:D F?56C2C>] w6 :?:E:2==J 5:5 ?@E <?@H 96 925 366? DE23365[ 3FE @?46 96 ?@E:465 9@=6D :? 9:D D9:CE[ 96 C62=:K65 9:D :?;FC:6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m!:4EFC6D E2<6? 3J @77:46CD @? E96 4C:>6 D46?6 H6C6 AC6D6?E65 E@ E96 ;FCJ] x? E96 A9@E@D[ 2 EC2:= @7 3=@@5 DA2EE6C 3682? 2E E96 32D<6E32== 9@@A :? 7C@?E @7 E96 9@FD6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mpD E96 A9@E@D AC@8C6DD65 :?D:56 @7 E96 9@>6[ E96 3=@@5 DA2EE6C 3642>6 >@C6 2AA2C6?E 2D :E 4@G6C65 2 =2C86 A2CE @7 E96 42CA6E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mx? 9:D E6DE:>@?J[ |:4926= D2:5 96 H2D 32C364F:?8 H:E9 @?6 @7 9:D 7C:6?5D H96? u=6E496C D9@H65 FA F?:?G:E65] |:4926= D2:5 96 925 E@=5 u=6E496C >F=E:A=6 E:>6D 367@C6 E96 :?4:56?E E@ ?@E 4@>6 E@ 9:D 9@FD6[ 2D |:4926= 5:5 ?@E 766= 4@>7@CE23=6 H:E9 u=6E496C 36:?8 2C@F?5 9:D 72>:=J] |:4926= D2:5 96 925 ?@ H62A@? @C 2?JE9:?8 @? 9:D A6CD@? 2E E96 E:>6[ ?@E 6G6? 9:D H2==6E] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mp44@C5:?8 E@ |:4926=[ u=6E496C 42>6 E@ E96 9@>6 2D<:?8 7@C >2:= H9:=6 96 H2D 32C364F:?8 2?5 A=2J:?8 32D<6E32==] $9@CE=J 27E6C u=6E496C’D 2CC:G2=[ 2? 2=E6C42E:@? 6?DF65 36EH66? E96 EH@] |:4926= D2:5 E96 2=E6C42E:@? 5:5 ?@E =2DE =@?86C E92? EH@ >:?FE6D 367@C6 96 76=E D@>6E9:?8 H6E @? 9:D 3@5J[ H9:49 H2D 3=@@5] pD 96 C62=:K65 96 H2D =@D:?8 3=@@5[ 96 CFD965 :?D:56 :? 2? 2EE6>AE E@ C6249 E96 32E9C@@>] q642FD6 @7 E96 =2C86 2>@F?E @7 3=@@5 =@DD[ 96 A2DD65 @FE :?D:56 @7 E96 9@>6 4=@D6 E@ E96 32E9C@@>[ =62G:?8 =2C86 DE2:?D @7 3=@@5 @? E96 42CA6E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m(96? 7:CDE C6DA@?56CD 2CC:G65 2E E96 D46?6[ E96J EC62E65 |:4926= 7:CDE 5F6 E@ E96 6IE6?E @7 9:D :?;FC:6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 56E64E:G6 2?5 H:E?6DD sC6H |2496?] w6 H2D E96? 7=@H? E@ q:C>:?892>]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?msC] s@?2=5 #667[ 2 86?6C2= 2?5 EC2F>2 DFC86@? 2E &pq[ A6C7@C>65 6>6C86?4J DFC86CJ @? |:4926= 27E6C 96 H2D =:76 7=:89E65 7C@> #FDD6== |65:42=] w6 AC@G:565 9:D E6DE:>@?J H9:=6 =@@<:?8 324< @? 3@E9 |:4926= 2?5 sC2<6’D 9:DE@CJ @? E92E ?:89E] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mq@E9 DF776C65 7C@> >F=E:A=6 DE23 H@F?5D] |:4926= 925 DE23 H@F?5D @? 9:D C:89E D:56 235@>6?[ =67E 7=2?<[ C:89E D:56 @7 9:D 496DE 2?5 =67E 8C@:?] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?msC2<6 925 DE23 H@F?5D :? 9:D F?56C2C>[ 496DE 2?5 =@H6C 324<]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?ms676?D6 2EE@C?6J #@3:? |4t?EJC6 2C8F65 u=6E496C t==:D 925 E96 C:89E E@ 5676?5 9:>D6=7 2?5 E96 ;FCJ D9@F=5 962C 2? :?DECF4E:@? @? D6=7\5676?D6] w@H6G6C[ 5:DEC:4E 2EE@C?6J |:<6 $68C6DE D2:5 E96C6 H2D ?@ 6G:56?46 @7 2 H62A@? @7 2?J <:?5 @? 6:E96C G:4E:>[ 2?5 E96C6 H2D ?@ :>>:?6?E E9C62E @7 5625=J 7@C46]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mx? 255:E:@? E@ 2EE6>AE65 >FC56C 492C86D[ u=6E496C t==:D :D 2=D@ 492C865 H:E9 D64@?5\568C66 2DD2F=E 2?5 56DEC@J:?8 DE2E6 AC@A6CEJ H9:=6 2? :?>2E6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mq@E9 @776?D6D @44FCC65 2C@F?5 pAC:= `_[ a_ab[ 4@FCE C64@C5D DE2E6] p44@C5:?8 E@ 4@FCE 5@4F>6?ED[ t==:D 2==6865=J “5:5 … H:==7F==J @C >2=:4:@FD=J :?;FC6 @C 56DEC@J 2?J 3F:=5:?8 @C AC@A6CEJ 36=@?8:?8 E@ E96 DE2E6 @C :?DECF>6?E2=:EJ @7 2 G2=F6 :? 6I46DD @7 Sad]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m%9:D :D 2 r=2DD r 76=@?J] |@DE C646?E=J[ 2 >@E:@? 7@C 2 DA665J EC:2= :? 3@E9 @7 E96D6 42D6D H2D 7:=65 @? pAC:= a] w6 :D ?@E 4FCC6?E=J 36:?8 EC:65 @? 6:E96C 492C86]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m!C6G:@FD=J[ u=6E496C t==:D 92D A=65 8F:=EJ E@ E9C66 492C86D 7@C :?E6?E E@ 5:DEC:3FE6 2?5 @?6 492C86 @7 A@DD6DD:@? @7 2 4@?EC@==65 DF3DE2?46]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m k^DA2?mk^Am
