After being found guilty of murder, Thomas Hubbard now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Colbert County DA’s office said that after the penalty phase of Hubbard’s case, “The jury did not unanimously find the existance of an aggravating factor so the only possible punishment for the defendant is life without the possibility of parole.”
On June 28th, a Colbert County jury found Thomas Hubbard guilty of Capital Murder and Assault 1st degree in connection with the slaying of Ki-Jana Freeman in 2016.
Prosecutor Kyle Brown tells WZDX they planned on seeking the death penalty in the case.
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Ki-Jana Freeman was shot multiple times outside the Spring Creek apartments in Tuscumbia in March of 2016. Fifteen shots were fired from an SKS rifle into the Mustang that Freeman and 17-year-old Tyler Blythe were in.
Freeman was killed. Blythe survived.
Thomas Hubbard stands accused of being the ring leader in the slaying and his trial starts today in Colbert County Court.
Kyle Brown is Chief Assistant District Attorney for Colbert County and tells WZDX that he expects the trial to run at least through Wednesday next week.
Hubbards attorney’s made numerous motions to have the death penalty barred because their client is intellectually disabled and also asked that the trial be moved. Both requests were denied by the judge and prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty should the jury convict Hubbard.
Two others involved, Benjamin Young and Peter Capote have already been tried, found guilty and sentenced to death.
Riley Earl Hamm, III, is still awaiting trial. De’Vontae Bates pleaded guilty to Criminal Conspiracy and received a 20 year prison sentence in exchange for his testimony against the others involved.
