District Attorney Richard Minor said Jeffrey Morris Hamby, 39, of Moody was served with an indictment Friday for the murder of Karen Nicole McNair, 41, of Moody.
The victim was living with the defendant at the time of her death.
Authorities say Hamby allegedly shot and killed McNair with a .357 caliber revolver during an argument the night of Jan. 25.
At Hamby’s preliminary hearing in March, Paul “Eric” Hansen, an investigator with the Moody Police Department, testified he entered the home where the shooting occurred with an Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences investigator.
He said McNair’s body was found in the hallway of the home, face down in a pool of blood.
“There was a lot of blood,” Hansen said.
He said the alleged murder weapon was found inside the suspect’s bedroom, and the revolver only had one spent round in the chamber.
Hansen said he did not question Hamby until the following day at the St. Clair County Courthouse in Pell City.
The investigator also testified there were inconsistencies in Hamby’s statements and physical evidence at the crime scene.
Hansen said Hamby told investigators he thought the gun was unloaded, and he wrestled with the victim over the gun when it went off, killing McNair.
He said Hamby told investigators he thought McNair was going to pick up the gun off a table and strike him with it.
Hanson testified Hamby said the couple was facing each other when the gun went off, but it appears the woman was shot in the back of the neck.
He testified that investigators had Hamby show them how the shooting happened, but the physical evidence didn’t support his version of the events.
“There were no blood splatters on the wall,” he said.
Hansen said he was told the suspect had blood and small scratches on his hands when emergency workers arrived on the scene.
A knife was found on the floor only a couple of feet away from the victim’s body, but Hansen said Hamby told investigators he knew nothing about the knife.
Hansen said he interviewed the next door neighbor shortly after he arrived at the crime scene, 629 Scott Drive, Moody.
He testified the neighbor told him Hamby came over and said his girlfriend had been shot and to call the police.
Hansen said Hamby told investigators he was talking to a friend on his cell phone just before the shooting but could not find his phone to call authorities.
Hamby remains free on a $500,000 bond.
The suspect is expected to be arraigned in August.
Contact David Atchison at datchison@dailyhome.com.
