Police: Pregnant woman among 5 dead in southern Alabama home

Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich told Al.com (http://bit.ly/2bd4hvO ) that the crime scene where five people were “brutally and viciously murdered” was the worst she’d seen in 20 years as a prosecutor.

Burch said suspect Derrick Dearman of Leakesville, Miss., was taken into custody after he walked into the Greene County Sheriff’s Office Saturday afternoon and confessed to the crimes. Burch said he expects Dearman to face five or six counts of capital murder.

“Sad to say, one of the females was about five months pregnant,” Burch said.

Burch and Rich revealed few specifics of the scene, but said it was clear that firearms and at least one other type of weapon had been used. Burch said that it wasn’t immediately clear whether the victims had been attacked while sleeping or had engaged in a prolonged struggle.

“We’re not there yet,” Rich said, when asked about details of the deaths. “We have a horrible scene here.”

Burch said it appeared events began unfolding in the early hours of Saturday morning. Somewhere between midnight and 1 a.m., residents of the house had called 911 to report a trespasser. Burch said it was his understanding that during the call Dearman had been identified as the trespasser.

Burch said he understood that Citronelle police responded to the call, but found no one.

Burch said it appeared the murders had taken place later Saturday morning. By Saturday afternoon, a woman reported to Citronelle police that she’d been kidnapped and escaped. Information from her account led Citronelle police to the house on Jim Platt Road. Burch said investigators believed the woman who contacted police had an undtermined relationship with Dearman.

An investigation is ongoing.

The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Police: Pregnant woman among 5 dead in southern Alabama home

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