By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

Lowndes County District Judge Adrian D. Johnson said he will allow a grand jury to determine if Brandon Demonte Rudolph was in fear for his life following a May incident that left a Fort Deposit man dead.

Rudolph, of Letohatchee, who was 26 at the time of his arrest, was charged with murder on May 27.

The Alabama Bureau of Investigation, which investigated the case, identified the victim as Willie Earl Scott, age 34, of Fort Deposit.

Lowndes County District Attorney Charlotte M. Tesmer said Scott was shot as the result of a domestic dispute.

She said the murder occurred on McCall Road in Hope Hull shortly before 2:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning and that the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Johnson bound Rudolph over to a grand jury following a preliminary hearing held Tuesday. Rudolph remains out of jail on a $60,000.

Johnson’s decision followed testimony from State Trooper Spencer Traywick, who is assigned to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation.

Trawick testified that according to witness interviews, Rudolph shot Scott during an altercation.

According to the testimony, Scott assaulted Rudolph, and when asked why Rudolph was charged with murder, Trawick said, “He pulled a weapon and discharged it.”

Attorneys in the case were Jerry Thornton of Hayneville and Lowndes County Assistant District Attorney Will Kelly, who both declined comment.