SYLACAUGA, Ala. – Two Jefferson County men will face a Jefferson County jury on capital murder charges in the 2021 shooting death of Brad Isbell at his home on Harper Springs Road in Sylacauga.
33-year-old Markkeis A. Towns is scheduled for trial next March. He is alleged to have fatally shot Isbell on June 23, 2021, as well as wounding Rachel Elizabeth Haynes. The Jefferson County District Attorney’s office alleges that he did so after being paid through a series of people on behalf of his cousin, 33-year-old Montrell Towns, who was in prison at the time.
Both men are charged with capital murder and, if convicted, would face a life without parole sentence. Attorneys for Marrkeis Towns have requested a December hearing concerning a mental disability claim that, if confirmed, would prohibit Towns from facing the death penalty upon conviction.
The state set the trial for Jefferson County on the assertion that the conspiracy that resulted in Isbell’s death was formed in Jefferson County. Three others, all female; Tahila M. Lomax, Keira M. Turner, and Allana A. Reid have also been indicted for capital murder for carrying out various roles in Isbell’s shooting death, with no trial dates set.
