A north Georgia man, Christopher Brayden Jones, 23, is facing a capital murder charge in DeKalb County, Alabama, in connection with the fatal shooting of Marcus Adam Battles, 39.
Jones, of Calhoun, Georgia, is currently held in the Gordon County Jail on an unrelated drug charge for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. He is awaiting extradition to Alabama, where he will face the murder charge.
The incident occurred on April 10 in Mentone, Alabama, where authorities responded to a call after Battles’ vehicle crashed into a home. When first responders arrived, they discovered that Battles had also suffered a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said it took weeks of investigation to identify a suspect, ultimately leading to Jones. “Maybe now the Battles family can have some ease to a terrible pain that started 21 days ago,” Welden stated.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the motive or details surrounding the events leading to Battles’ death.
Jones remains in custody in Georgia until his transfer to Alabama is finalized.
