By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Atmore Police Department’s separate investigations into a pair of December shootings that occurred two weeks apart on Ashley Street, including one in which two local men were murdered, have been moved to a back burner.
It’s not that local police don’t have evidence that could tie one or more individuals to one or both of the crimes. It’s just that an overworked and understaffed state crime lab hasn’t yet completed tests on and analysis of that evidence.
“Both cases are still under investigation,” APD Sgt. Darrell McMann said Monday. “We are awaiting the results of a number of items that were sent to the lab.”
Although police haven’t said the cases — the December 8 murders of Joe Jones Jr., 27, and 25-year-old Juwan McNeal, and the December 30 non-fatal shooting of another man — are related, there are similarities.
Jones and McNeal were shot to death as they sat in a car smoking and listening to music. Their assailants reportedly came from behind an abandoned Ashley Street house and began firing indiscriminately into the vehicle. Official reports indicate that police recovered “around 20” shell casings in the vicinity of the car.
The unidentified victim of the December 30 assault was also sitting in a car parked along Ashley Street. Although he was hit just once, police reported the recovery of “around 20” shell casings at that shooting site, too. Authorities have not disclosed the type of weapon or weapons used in either attack.
City detectives are also continuing their investigation into a Halloween Night (October 31) incident during which 49 shots were fired into at least one occupied house on 4th Avenue. Shell casings from three different weapons — a 9mm handgun, a .45-caliber handgun and either an automatic or semi-automatic rifle — were collected from the immediate area of the shooting.
Anyone who has information that might lead to the capture of the shooter or shooters in either of these cases is urged to call APD’s anonymous tip line at 251-368-9141, extension 1168.