The two are Mark Lyle Massey, 20, and Nicholas Bell, 20, both of Trussville.
Massey and Bell, along with Richard Allen Hollaway Jr., 18, and Duel Wayne Pope, 21, are charged with the murder of Joseph Robert Denton, 18, of Moody, who was shot and killed after the group of men allegedly entered a home in the Trail’s End Community.
Authorities say Denton was shot and killed by the resident of the home just before midnight on Feb. 11.
St. Clair County Coroner Dennis Russell pronounced Denton dead at the scene from a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Authorities say all four suspects are charged with murder, a Class A felony, because Denton’s death occurred during the course of a burglary that all five men were involved in.
Massey appeared before Circuit Court Judge Charles Robinson Thursday. Robinson set a youthful offender status hearing for Sept. 9 for the defendant.
“It doesn’t mean you’ll be treated as a youthful offender,” Robinson told Massey.
Robinson said he will determine whether Massey is tried as an adult or granted youthful offender status based on a background investigation and upon the recommendation of the District Attorney’s Office.
Massey has remained in the St. Clair County Jail since his arrest in February.
Bell’s youthful offender status hearing is set for Sept. 27 before Circuit Court Judge Jim Hill. His youthful offender status hearing was granted by Hill last week, Bell’s attorney, Tony Hamlin of Pell City, said Thursday.
Hamlin said Hill set his client’s bond at $100,000 last week, and Bell was released on bond Wednesday.
Bell and Massey were initially held in the St. Clair County Jail without bond.
Officials said at the time of the pair’s arrest, Bell had a pending felony theft charge from Etowah County, and Massey was on probation from a case in Jefferson County.
Bonds for Pope and Hollaway were initially set at $250,000. Hollaway is unable to make bond and remains in the St. Clair County Jail. Pope was released after his bond was reduced to $100,000.
Pope and Hollaway are expected to appear in court July 6 for their arraignment hearings before Hill.
According to court documents, the victim, Michael Holderfield, 54, of 40 Pioneer Trail in Leeds, shot Denton after he was attacked by the deceased and two other men armed with baseball bats.
According to court documents, Holderfield was asleep in his bedroom when he was awakened by the sound of breaking glass from the backdoor of his kitchen.
He was confronted by the suspects when he entered the kitchen and managed, after being assaulted, to reach a kitchen drawer where he kept his handgun.
Holderfield suffered injuries in the break-in and attack.
