Judge Ryan Rumsey oversaw the hearing for Michael Cornelius Milliner, 35, of Sylacauga. Rumsey ruled there was probable cause to believe Milliner committed the offense in the Aug. 31 shooting death of Shalanda Pope.
The case will be turned over to a grand jury for review.
County District Attorney Steve Giddens called Sylacauga Police Investigator Mike Smith to testify. Smith said he arrived at a parking lot outside Blue Bell Creameries around 4:30 a.m. the day of the shooting and found Pope dead of a gunshot wound inside a vehicle.
According to Smith’s testimony, Milliner had been found at the scene but was removed by ambulance, also with a gunshot wound.
Smith also relayed information from interviews with one of Pope’s sons. He said the son saw Milliner and his mother talking outside the Pope home the morning of the shooting. When the son went outside after hearing them, Pope told him to go back inside.
“He stated he felt like she seemed scared at that moment,” Smith said.
After going inside to wake his brother, they came outside to find Milliner and Pope gone, Smith said. Pope’s two sons arrived at Blue Bell shortly after the shooting occurred.
Defense attorney Jeff Salyer sat next to his client as he asked Smith details from the scene. At Salyer’s request, Smith informed him he recovered a Glock .45 pistol from the scene and also two .45 shell casings.
Salyer also asked whether the gun was registered to Milliner and if his fingerprints were found on it. Smith replied the gun was not registered, and forensics had not completed fingerprint analysis.
When asked if there appeared to be signs of a struggle at the scene, Smith said there were not.
No other witnesses were called by the prosecution or defense. Several friends and family of Pope attended to view the proceedings.
Pope was an employee of Blue Bell Creameries. According to an Aug. 31 police department release, responders found her shot outside of her place of work after dispatchers received a call of shots fired around 4:20 a.m.
Police initially called the shooting an apparent murder and attempted suicide. Milliner was also found shot but alive.
Emergency services airlifted him from the scene to UAB Hospital.
Police also said the shooting appeared to be domestic related. Pope and Milliner were previously married.
The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, Talladega County Coroners Office and Talladega County District Attorney assisted Sylacauga Police in the investigation.
Contact Matt Quillen at mquillen@dailyhome.com.
