Jeffrey Alan Wilcox Jr., 30, of Piedmont, Ala., is charged with capital murder and first-degree kidnapping in Cherokee County, Ala.The Alabama man suspected in a double-homicide and kidnapping case in Cherokee County, Ala., is being held on capital murder and first-degree kidnapping charges after being captured just miles from where the killings occurred.
Piedmont, Ala., resident Jeffrey Alan Wilcox Jr., 30, is the suspect in the deaths of his in-laws and kidnapping of his estranged wife in an incident that happened in the Tennala community south of Centre early Sunday afternoon, according to a statement from Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver.
The victims are Daniel Andrews and Letitia B. Andrews, both in their mid- to late-40s. They had been shot.
The kidnapping victim - Wilcox' wife, 30-year-old Chasidy Wilcox - is Letitia Andrews' daughter and Daniel Andrews' stepdaughter. Jeffrey Wilcox took Chasidy Wilcox from the Andrews' home after the shootings and the pair hadn't been seen until late Tuesday when the arrest was made, Cherokee County Chief Investigator Josh Summerford said.
Chad Hopper, Wilcox's attorney, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Wilcox was taken into custody after a motorist reported spotting a vehicle matching the description of the Wilcoxs' pickup truck on U.S. Highway 411 in Centre and called 911, Summerford said. Images of the Wilcoxes and a 2011 red Chevrolet Silverado had been released by authorities soon after the incident, and a $5,000 reward was offered early Tuesday.
After the call, dispatchers alerted Centre police officers who started to follow Wilcox's truck.
Summerford believes Wilcox was headed for the sheriff's office to turn himself in because he was turning at the parking lot as Centre police officers activated their blue lights, he said. Wilcox turned himself in without incident and Chasidy Wilcox was found inside the truck unharmed, Summerford said.
Chasidy Wilcox had been held in the pickup truck since Sunday as she and her captor rode across state lines and stayed on the move, Summerford said. Investigators are analyzing electronic devices seized in the arrest to determine the man's movements while he was on the lam.
Several children were present at the home at the time of the killings but all managed to escape uninjured. Summerford said a passerby spotted the children, picked them up and took them to the Centre Police Department.
"It's just horrible for those children," Summerford said. He said the Wilcox couple had been married but were recently separated and living apart.
No court dates have been set. A decision on bond was expected late on Wednesday, officials said.
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.