Decatur man indicted in killing of Hartselle man

Nov. 3—A Morgan County grand jury has indicted a Decatur man on a charge of capital murder in the August 2021 shooting death at a Wavaho gas station, and the district attorney plans to seek the death penalty.

Ricardo Santos Bass, 41, is accused of the fatal shooting of Mark Allen Nicholson, 54, of Hartselle, at the Wavaho station at 707 Wilson St. N.W. on Aug. 19, 2021. Less than an hour prior, Bass allegedly shot and killed Jeffrey Carden, 31, of Huntsville, in a parking lot on McVay Street in Huntsville, according to police.

Authorities captured Bass in a wooded area near County Line Road and Interstate 565 after a car chase and short foot chase on Aug. 31, 2021.

"Currently, it is my plan to seek the death penalty in the case," Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson said.

In a court filing last week, defense attorney Christy M. Miller of Hartselle filed a motion to withdraw as counsel for Bass. Her motion states that the defendant requested that she withdraw because Bass "lacks trust" in her, and that "further representation is impossible under the circumstances."

Co-counsel Catherine Carter, also court-appointed, said she is not sure if the court will name another attorney to join Bass' defense.

"This case will not be tried before 2024 at the earliest," Carter said. "It will be up to the court system if it wants to appoint another attorney, but that action won't delay the trial. There are other capital cases in front of it."

Bass is accused of shooting and robbing Nicholson, who was fueling his pickup. According to a police affidavit, surveillance video shows Bass taking Nicholson's wallet after shooting him.

A Decatur acquaintance of Bass, Calvin Jerrod Garth, 44, of 206 13th Ave. N.W., was indicted on first-degree hindering prosecution for his alleged role in assisting Bass flee authorities. He initially denied assisting Bass in eluding police but "would go on to eventually admit that he provided Ricardo with a ride away from the residence, and dropped him off at an unspecified location in Decatur," according to the affidavit.

Garth is charged with a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Morgan County sheriff's spokesperson Mike Swafford said Bass is in "administrative housing away from the general population" at the county jail. Bass is being held without bond.

Others indicted on capital murder charges in the August session of the grand jury were Ayqueele Mickole Edmond of Fort Worth, Texas, Keondrick Tyrek Boyd of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Khamis Zakaria Yugusuk of Nashville. The three are accused of shooting Rodney Maurice Fossett Jr., 21, during a robbery at Summer Courtyard Apartments in Southwest Decatur on July 13, 2021. Fossett died from his injuries at Huntsville Hospital on Aug. 5, 2021.

"All four are capital murder cases that will involve a great deal of time and effort on the part of the DA's office, the respective defense attorneys as well as the court system," Anderson said. "We will continue to work on each one so that we are fully prepared when it's time to present them to a jury."

The grand jury also issued three non-capital murder indictments charging Thomas Dale Chapman Jr. of Cullman, Jason O'Neall Stovall of Decatur and Kellie Monroe Hurley of Huntsville.

Chapman, 59, is accused of killing his son-in-law Isaac Keola Rodgers, 31, of Holly Pond near Falkville in September 2021.

Stovall, 39, is accused of the stabbing death of Lorenzo Mitchell.

Hurley, 38, is accused of the shooting death of Demetres Orr of Hartselle.

The grand jury issued 64 indictments for possession of controlled substance as well as the following:

—Yousef Mohammad Abdi, 32, Huntsville; breaking and entering a vehicle.

—Charles Michael Aldridge, 36, Lacey's Spring; second-degree assault.

—Richard David Bagwell, 39, Somerville; second-degree assault.

—John Allan Baird, 68, Falkville; failure to register as a sex offender.

—Christopher Wayne Barber, 35, Hartselle; three counts of fraudulent use of a credit/debit card, shooting into occupied vehicle or building.

—Samuel Leon Billings, 53, Hartselle; domestic violence by strangulation.

—Bradley Glen Bloodworth, 25, Hartselle; third-degree theft.

—Ashley Jean Borden, 33, Somerville; first-degree theft.

—Jimmy Lee Borden, 37, Trinity; second-degree theft.

—William Josiah Brown, 30, Athens; third-degree theft.

—Dalton Christopher Bryant, 26, Hartselle; second-degree theft.

—Kimberly Noelle Burnett, 35, Decatur; trafficking in controlled substance.

—Barbara Mae Chaney, 43, Decatur; second-degree assault.

—Breyanna Rachel Chislom, 24, Decatur; first-degree theft.

—Albert Lemar Coffey, 61, Hillsboro; third-degree theft.

—Vernon Cottrell, 30, Guntersville; third-degree theft.

—Kwame Quashawn Deloney, 29, Bronx, New York; second-degree assault.

—Travon Marcus Deloney, 22, Decatur; first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, shooting into unoccupied building or vehicle.

—Stanley Levon Dingler, 53, Hartselle; domestic violation by strangulation.

—Brendon Keith Dotson, 41, Trinity; first-degree receiving stolen property.

—Calee Rosel Concetta Downey, 36, Huntsville; third-degree forgery.

—Danny Joe Early, 36, Trinity; first-degree theft.

—Christopher Lynn Everson, 51, Hartselle; breaking and entering a vehicle.

—Ronney Facison, 52, Athens; second-degree receiving stolen property.

—Rodrico Antwon Files, 33, Bessemer; two counts of third-degree burglary, first-degree theft.

—Delton Lee Garrison, 50, Lacey's Spring; first-degree theft.

—Calvin Jerrod Garth, 46, Decatur; first-degree hindering prosecution.

—Jesse Caleb Glasgow, 27, Somerville; failure to register as a sex offender.

—Emmitt Goode IV, 29, Tanner; distribution of controlled substance.

—James Edward Goode, 56, Hartselle; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

—Brittany Goss, 25, Decatur; third-degree theft.

—Christopher Leon Grays, 32, Madison; drug trafficking.

—Hector Ariel Lemus Guerra, 30, Birmingham; drug trafficking.

—Jyasiel Devante Hampton, 30, Courtland; drug trafficking.

—Matthew Lewis Hand, 32, Trinity; third-degree theft.

—Rayella Aundria Harris, 24, Decatur; chemical endangerment of a child.

—Stephanie Leeanne Hatfield, 34, Hartselle; chemical endangerment of a child.

—Jarvis Tyrese Hayes, 23, Decatur; second-degree assault.

—Nathan Wade Hayes, 46, Moulton; first-degree theft.

—James Carl Hendrix, 57, Lacey's Spring; drug trafficking.

—David Leon Hill, 27, Decatur; second-degree promoting prison contraband.

—Deanna Kristie Hodge, 24, Hillsboro; chemical endangerment of a child.

—Enola Athena Grace Hodgin, 51, New Market; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

—Thomas Lee Holladay, 49, Danville; child abuse.

—Jacob Scott Hood, 31, Hartselle; third-degree theft, three counts of fraudulent use of a credit/debit card.

—William Marty Hood, 59, Decatur; breaking and entering a vehicle.

—Billy Lynn Hopkins, 48, Somerville; shooting into an occupied building or vehicle.

—Matthew Todd Houston, 44, Decatur; second-degree elder abuse.

—Jurdy Wayne Hughes Jr., 34, Somerville; two counts of breaking and entering a vehicle, third-degree burglary.

—Christopher John Ingram, 36, Decatur; third-degree forgery.

—Marion Antrione Johnson, 34, Bessemer; two counts of third-degree burglary, first-degree theft.

—Dyllan Patrick Jones, 30, Danville; three counts of third-degree forgery, third-degree theft.

—Jason David Keeton, 37, Elkmont; third-degree forgery, first-degree theft, third-degree burglary.

—Donald Lekeith Kizart, 47, Cleveland, Mississippi; second-degree assault.

—Jessica Nicole Laney, 46, Danville; second-degree elder abuse.

—Nave Niven Lilly, 47, Lacey's Spring; second-degree elder abuse.

—Dakota Quintorrian Long, 24, Tuscumbia; drug trafficking.

—Zackrey Dakota Lott, 31, Moulton; second-degree assault.

—Breanne Sharee Lusk, 38, Oneonta; chemical endangerment of a child.

—Charles Daniel McDonald, 31, Hartselle; two counts of third-degree forgery.

—Justin Blake McDougald, 34, Decatur; first-degree theft.

—Jimmy Avery Meares, 78, Somerville; failure to register as a sex offender.

—Diane Fay Mendez Lopez, 37, Decatur; breaking and entering a vehicle.

—Alejandro Venegas Mendoza, 25, Alabaster; drug trafficking.

—Christina Johnson Moore, 45, Bremen; second-degree promoting prison contraband.

—Lester Junior Morris II, 49, Decatur; third-degree theft.

—Zachary Walker Murphy, 36, Hartselle; failure to register as a sex offender.

—Andre Jamel Nowell, 39, Birmingham; second-degree promoting prison contraband.

—Aaron David Oyervidez, 30, Decatur; third-degree receiving stolen property.

—Kimberly Pauline Pannell, 31, Hartselle; first-degree theft, third-degree burglary.

—Jordan Claye Pearce, 30, Arab; three counts of third-degree receiving stolen property.

—Roy Lee Pickens Jr., 37, Decatur; two counts of first-degree theft.

—Curtis Leon Pickett, 58, Decatur; third-degree theft.

—Jonathan William Pike, 37, Hartselle; third-degree theft, second-degree financial exploitation of an elderly person.

—Donique Shanea Prettyman, 29, Decatur; second-degree assault.

—Steven Deshawn Pruitt, 22, Hartselle; shooting into occupied building or vehicle.

—Edward Lewis Pugh, 33, Huntsville; second-degree domestic violence.

—Crystal Marie Ragan, 36, Eufaula; second-degree promoting prison contraband.

—Lisa Duncan Richardson, 51, Athens; breaking and entering a vehicle.

—Reymundo James Rodriguez, 38, Hartselle; first-degree theft, third-degree burglary, first-degree receiving stolen property.

—Baron Heath Rollins, 50, Hartselle; second-degree theft.

—Gerome Dante Russell, 45, Decatur; first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, shooting into an unoccupied building or vehicle.

—John Clayton Sanders, 33, Decatur; drug trafficking.

—Timothy James Seevers, 26, Marietta, Ohio; first-degree receiving stolen property.

—David Elliott Simmons, 55, Falkville; second-degree domestic violence.

—Joey Ray Smith, 61, Falkville; two counts of fraudulent use of a credit/debit card.

—Stanley Marquise Smith Jr., 31, Decatur; two counts of breaking and entering a vehicle, second-degree receiving stolen property.

—Terence Jermaine Smith, 31, Hartselle; eight counts of first-degree forgery, two counts of third-degree forgery, third-degree theft.

—James Glen Stegall, 45, Athens; breaking and entering a vehicle.

—Jordan Elaine Talley, 25, Falkville; chemical endangerment of a child.

—Christopher Matthew Tennyson, 35, Somerville; second-degree escape.

—Cody Alan Terry, 30, Decatur; first-degree theft.

—Clara Jeanette-Rieber Thomas; 35, Decatur; chemical endangerment of a child.

—Serenity Rhae Thompson, 23, Hartselle; second-degree assault, shooting into occupied building or vehicle.

—Eric Brandon Townsend, 46, Decatur; third-degree theft.

—Carlos Jerome Turner, 45, Decatur; second-degree assault.

—Brian Dean Walker, 38, Huntsville; third-degree theft.

—Scott Anthony Whisman, 44, Decatur; breaking and entering a vehicle.

—Terry Jackson Whitley, 49, Hartselle; terrorist threats.

—Crystal Dawn Wilhite, 41, Decatur; obstructing justice using a false identity.

—Darius Lamont Williams, 39, Decatur; second-degree receiving stolen property, certain person forbidden from owning firearm.

—Kentrice Shonta Williams, 39, Decatur; chemical endangerment of a child.

—Kirby Hunter Williams, 25, Somerville; first-degree theft.

—Jessica Rose Williamson, 36, Decatur; third-degree forgery.

—Chris Lavon Winn, 35, Arab; first-degree receiving stolen property.

— mike.wetzel@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel.