DEKALB CO., Ala. ( WAFF ) - The murder charges against a Grove Oak man in DeKalb County have been dropped, court records revealed.
Keith Sullivan was arrested and charged with the murder of his neighbor, Gregory Bagwell.
In Sullivan's words, before the trial, Bagwell fired a gun in the neighborhood near his home.
Hours later, Bagwell began yelling, threatening neighbors, and vandalizing his own property before crossing over to Sullivan's property.
Sullivan said he stepped out of his home to see Bagwell drape his left arm over the porch, but he said his right arm was out of view. When Bagwell moved his shielded arm, Sullivan shot him because he "feared he may have been armed."
Sullivan had an immunity hearing on the matter, claiming that he shot and killed Bagwell in self-defense.
Immunity was not granted to Sullivan because Bagwell was struck by gunfire seven times out of the eight shots Sullivan fired.
After a week of witness statements and testimonies during the trial, a DeKalb County judge declared a mistrial after the jury deadlocked 6-6.
Judge declares mistrial in DeKalb County murder case after jury deadlocks a second time
The DeKalb County District Attorney initially stated that she wanted to continue pursuing legal action against Sullivan following the mistrial.
Nearly four months later, the district attorney's office filed a motion for Nolle Prosequi. A Nolle Prosequi is when the prosecution has decided not to pursue the case further.
According to court records, the prosecution decided to no longer pursue the charges because they felt that if they went to trial again, it "would more than likely also end without a jury reaching a unanimous verdict and result in another mistrial."
Sullivan's attorney released the following statement about the order:
First, no one is happy about Mr. Bagwell's death—especially Keith and his family. We extend our condolences to Mr. Bagwell's family.
Secondly, we are thankful that District Attorney Summer Summerford re-evaluated the case after the trial and decided not to try the case again. We had a hard-fought trial and, despite that, we express our gratitude to her for showing the wisdom and steady hand to bring this case to an end. We applaud Ms. Summerford’s decision and we wish her the best moving forward.
We thank Judge Shaunathan Bell for the fair trial he provided Keith. Judge Bell is a man of Godly character that shines through in his work as a judge. He was fair when it mattered most, and we thank him.
We thank the members of the jury who served.
We thank Keith's family, friends, donors, and supporters. Keith could not have endured this case and the pressure it brought without your constant presence, love, and support. We thank the GiveSendGo and GoFundMe campaigns that helped raise much-needed funds.
We thank the media, especially Savannah Sapp, for excellent and fair coverage.
Finally, we thank the Lord Jesus Christ for His grace and mercy that have sustained Keith, his family, and this team throughout this process.
Keith’s legal defense team includes the following attorneys: Nick Sparks (Jasper, AL); Tom Woodall (Albertville, AL); Lisa Ivey (Anniston, AL); Thomas Kenniff and Steve Raiser (New York, NY); and Buddy Caldwell (Tallulah, LA). The team was aided by the services of Private Investigator Tommy Wood (Huntsville, AL). Tommy’s work was invaluable and we thank him. Also, Don Stump and his company, Illustrated Trials, provided trial support and helped us present critical audio and video evidence to the jury in the most effective manner.
Jeff McCurdy also served as one of Keith's lawyers on this defense team before Jeff took office as a judge in DeKalb County. We thank Jeff and his assistant, Denise, for all their help prior to Jeff becoming a judge.
We thank the many witnesses who were willing to come forward to aid in Keith's defense. We thank Dr. Chuck Rylant for his work in explaining the human factors at play when human beings feel that their lives are under threat.
Keith will not be making any comments or taking any interviews.
Keith Sullivan's attorneys
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