Capital murder trial begins today

MOULTON - Testimony will begin today in Lawrence County Circuit Court in the capital murder trial of a Hackleburg man accused with this brother of killing a Moulton man in 2004.

The trial of Lonnie Oneal Bailey, 45, is scheduled to begin about 8:30 a.m. in Judge Mark Craig's courtroom.

Bailey is accused of killing 71-year-old Melvin Key on Jan. 15, 2004.

Key was found that morning inside his residence at 10821 Alabama 33. He had been shot once in the chest, authorities said.

In October 2008, Bailey's brother, Harold Wayne Bailey, 39, 1597 Marion 167, Hackleburg, was convicted of capital murder after three days of testimony. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole at the request of the victim's family.

The brothers were arrested in December 2004. Investigators said robbery was the motive.

Officials said Key was found kneeling between his bed and the wall of the bedroom with his hands and head on the side of the bed. Authorities believe Key had been standing next to the bed or crouching down when the fatal shot was fired.

At the time of the shooting, the victim's son, Steve Key, told authorities that someone kicked in the front door of the house shortly after he went to bed.

He said he heard a shot in his father's bedroom. By the time he got to the living room, he told authorities that whoever had been in the house had fled.

The brothers were initially charged with murder, first-degree burglary and first-degree attempted robbery. An April 2005 grand jury dropped the burglary and attempted robbery charges and upgraded the murder charge to capital murder.

Lonnie Bailey has been in the Lawrence County Jail without bail since his arrest. Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.