Madison County Sheriff’s Office

Huntsville, Alabama

Blake L. Dorning-Sheriff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 28, 2016

Sheriff Blake Dorning announced today that on September 30th, 2016, there was a call for service regarding a fire at 1334 Carter’s Grove Road in Hazel Green Alabama. Hazel Green, Bobo, and Toney volunteer Fire Departments responded to extinguish the mobile home fire. After the fire was extinguished, the body of Danny Ray Smith, white male, born in 1964, was located inside the residence. Madison County Sheriff’s Office Patrol and Criminal Investigators responded to the scene to begin a preliminary Death Investigation. A preliminary gathering of evidence was conducted at this time. Danny Smith’s body was sent to the Department of Forensics Science for an autopsy to assist in determining the cause of death. The Department of Forensic Science notified the Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, October 4, 2016, that Danny Ray Smiths’ manner of death was a homicide. Investigators have been conducting a canvas of the area and attempting to locate any witnesses or physical evidence to assist in solving this case. After intense investigation and execution of multiple search warrants the evidence of these actions led the investigators assigned to the case to believe that Justin King w/m born in 1988(28) and Dakota Allen Vickers w/m born in 1998 (18) caused the death of Danny Ray Smith. They were both formally charged with Capital Murder. Currently the Capital Murder charges have a no bond. The investigation into this Homicide is continuing. We have other persons of interest and more criminal charges may be files.

Justin Dwayne King w/m born 1988 and Dakota Allen Vickers w/m born 1998 were arrested on probable cause by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and are presumed innocent until determined otherwise by the judicial system.

Questions concerning this release may be directed to Madison County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division (CID) Capt. Michael Salomonsky (256) 533-8820.