A Foley couple is facing capital murder charges following the death of a 70-year-old man whose home was burglarized and set on fire, according to Foley police.
Investigators say the man, who was a friend of one of the two suspects, was shot inside his home during what police described as a burglary that escalated into a homicide. His body and residence were found burned after the attack, complicating the initial investigation into what had happened.
Foley police arrested a 33-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman, both Foley residents, on capital murder charges tied to both the arson and the burglary. Investigators said the pair’s connection to the victim, who considered one of them a friend, added a troubling dimension to what officers described as a particularly brazen crime.
According to police, the attack occurred on a Sunday night, with the arrests following days later after detectives pieced together evidence from the scene, including the fire damage that investigators believe was intended to destroy evidence of the burglary and shooting.
Capital murder charges in Alabama are reserved for the most serious homicide cases, typically involving aggravating factors such as murder committed during the course of another felony like burglary, arson, kidnapping or robbery. Because both a burglary and an arson were allegedly involved in this case, prosecutors filed capital murder charges tied to each underlying offense, which could expose both defendants to the possibility of a death penalty sentence if convicted, pending a decision by the Baldwin County District Attorney’s office on how to proceed.
Foley police say the investigation remains active as detectives work to establish a full timeline of the events leading up to the killing, including how the suspects gained access to the victim’s home and what triggered the violence. Neighbors in the area where the crime occurred described shock at the killing, noting that violent crime of this nature is rare in the close-knit Baldwin County community.
Both suspects were being held pending further court proceedings. The case is expected to move through Baldwin County’s court system in the coming months, with a preliminary hearing likely to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to send the case to a grand jury.
City and county officials in Foley, a fast-growing Baldwin County community known for its retail corridor and proximity to the Gulf Coast beaches, said the department would continue to provide updates as the case develops.