Resident shoots one man during home invasion; others appear in court
By Michael Mee
The Leeds News
BROMPTON — Four men charged with felony murder following a evening home invasion last Thursday in Brompton made their first appearance in court Tuesday.
Mark Lyle Massey, 19, of Trussville; Richard Allen Holloway, 18, of Leeds; Duel Wayne Pope, 21, of Leeds; and Nicholas Bell, 20 of Trussville made their first court appearance before District Judge Phil Seay by way of the county’s video conferencing system. The four men are charged with the murder of 18-year-old Robert Joseph Denton, of Moody, who was shot and killed after three of the men allegedly entered a home at 40 Pioneer Way in the Trail’s End community.
County authorities report that Denton was shot and killed by the resident of the home, Michael Holderfield, 54, just before midnight last Thursday. Holderfield was assaulted and sustained injuries to his hands, including breaking his left hand. No charges have been brought against Holderfield.
Court documents indicate the incident began when the three men came into Holderfield’s home carrying baseball bats. The resident then obtained a handgun and shot Denton leading the others to flee the scene.
Denton was pronounced dead at the scene from a single gunshot wound to the chest.
St. Clair County Sheriff’s Captain Billy Murray said that three of the men were armed with baseball bats when they entered a mobile home in the Trails End community just before midnight Thursday.
It was discovered during the ensuing investigation that two other suspects assisted in the home invasion.
Massey was captured a half-hour after the shooting at the Brompton Chevron. Holloway was arrested last Friday afternoon at a Birmingham motel. Pope and Bell were apprehended late Friday afternoon in Moody.
Because Denton’s death occurred during the course of a burglary in which all five men were involved in some way, the four suspects are charged with murder, which is a Class A felony.
At Tuesday’s video hearing St. Clair County District Court Judge Phillip Seay advised the four suspects and appointed each of them with an attorney. A preliminary hearing for the murder cases will be on March 16.
Judge Seay set the bond amounts for both Pope and Holloway at $250,000. Seay ordered Massey and Bell to remain in the St. Clair County Jail without bond.
According to officials, Bell has a pending felony theft charge in Etowah County and Massey is on probation from a previous case in Jefferson County.
St. Clair County District Attorney Richard Minor said he was not sure if all suspects are to be tried together, though he said it is possible that all four of the suspects could be tried together, which will be decided by the courts.