AG Steve Marshall announces Court of Criminal Appeals upholds Madison County murder conviction

(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld the conviction of Robert Eugene Davis for intentional murder. Davis, 32, of Birmingham, was convicted in Madison County Circuit Court in August 2017 for the murder of Marlo Patton.

Evidence was presented at trial regarding the following events. On the evening of April 20, 2012, Patton was driven by his girlfriend to the residence of Jamie Ladae Kelly, allegedly to buy drugs. Patton went into Kelly’s apartment while his girlfriend remained in the vehicle. Davis was inside the apartment, along with Kelly and another man, Savantae Terrell Shoulders. Davis put Patton in a choke hold, and Patton subsequently died as a result of strangulation with multiple blunt-force injuries. When Patton did not come back to the car, his girlfriend came to the door of the apartment. Someone inside told her that Patton was not finished with his business and that she should leave, which she eventually did. Davis, Shoulders, and Kelly left with Patton’s body and dumped it near Lincoln, Tennessee. All three men were convicted for their roles in killing Patton.

Madison County District Attorney Robert Broussard’s Office prosecuted the cases of Davis as well as co-defendants Kelly and Shoulders. Upon conviction, the trial court sentenced Davis to life imprisonment. Davis appealed his conviction and sentence. On Friday, June 29, the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Davis’ conviction.

Kelly also was found guilty of intentional murder and was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment.  Shoulders was convicted of manslaughter and was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment.

Attorney General Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General P. David Bjurberg of the Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Division for his successful work in the Davis case.