THOMASVILLE, Ala. — A Thomasville man charged with murder in the baseball bat beating death of a neighbor on Round Hill Road will stay in jail without bond after a Clarke County judge granted the state’s request under Aniah’s Law.
District Judge J.R. Morgan denied bond for Rickey Lee Harrell II, 56, following a hearing on Friday, Sept. 18. Harrell is charged with intentional murder in the death of Roger Reginald Newton, 50, who died Sept. 12.
Harrell is presumed innocent. The denial of bond is not a finding of guilt; it means only that he will remain in custody while his case moves through the courts.
The Case Against Harrell
Clarke County sheriff’s deputies were called to Round Hill Road in Thomasville at about 6:15 p.m. on Sept. 12. Investigators said the confrontation grew out of an argument over a missing dog and that an aluminum baseball bat was used in the attack, according to the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department.
Newton died that day at Grove Hill Rural Emergency Hospital, according to his obituary. Harrell was arrested on Sept. 12.
A criminal complaint filed in Clarke County District Court alleges that Harrell intentionally caused Newton’s death by striking him multiple times with the bat.
Why the Judge Kept Him Jailed
At the hearing, prosecutors argued that the murder charge involved a crime of violence and that Harrell allegedly struck Newton more than once.
The state also pointed to Harrell’s criminal history, which prosecutors said dates to 2004 and includes felony charges in 2007, and argued he had violated bond conditions in other cases. Prosecutors asked the judge to weigh a list of other factors as well:
- Harrell’s family ties
- Alleged drug issues
- A history of living at several different addresses
- A Mississippi driver’s license
- What prosecutors described as a pattern of failing to comply with court requirements
Those factors go to the two questions at the heart of an Aniah’s Law hearing: whether a defendant poses a danger to the community and whether he can be relied on to return to court.
The Defense Argument
Defense attorney Robert McMillan argued that Harrell had turned himself in to authorities in the past and was not a danger to the public. The defense told the court that Harrell had no history of violent offenses before this case and should not be treated as a threat to the community.
Information presented during the hearing also addressed Newton’s own record. According to that information, Newton had previously faced charges including domestic violence, assault and burglary, as well as a capital murder charge that was later reduced to manslaughter.
Judge Morgan sided with the state and ordered Harrell held without bond.
A Combined Hearing Denied
The state had also asked the court to fold Harrell’s preliminary hearing into the Aniah’s Law hearing so both could be handled at once. The judge denied that request.
The reason traces back to a change of lawyers early in the case. Harrell’s first appointed attorney, Ernest C. McCorquodale III, asked to withdraw because he had previously represented Newton, creating a conflict of interest. The court granted that motion and appointed McMillan.
A preliminary hearing is where a district judge decides whether there is probable cause to send a case to a grand jury. It had originally been set for Wednesday, Sept. 16, before the defense sought the bond hearing and the matter was moved to Friday. A new date for the preliminary hearing was not included in the information released from the hearing.
What Aniah’s Law Allows
Aniah’s Law is a 2022 amendment to the Alabama Constitution, approved by voters in November of that year. It is named for Aniah Blanchard, a 19-year-old Southern Union State Community College student who was abducted and killed in 2019. The man charged in her death had been free on bond while facing earlier violent felony charges.
Before the amendment, the state constitution guaranteed bail in all cases except capital offenses. Judges could set a high bond but could not refuse one for most charges. Aniah’s Law widened the list of offenses, including murder, for which a judge may deny bail entirely.
Denial is not automatic. Prosecutors must ask for it, and at a hearing the state must show that no conditions of release would reasonably protect the public or ensure the defendant’s return to court. The defendant has the right to be present, to have a lawyer and to challenge the evidence. The factors prosecutors raised in Harrell’s case — his record, his compliance with past bond conditions, his ties to the area and his out-of-state license — are the kind judges consider in making that call.
Earlier Disputes on Round Hill Road
Court records reviewed after Harrell’s arrest show he had been involved in previous disputes with other neighbors in the Round Hill Road area. In March 2021, he was charged with third-degree criminal trespassing on property belonging to Ronnie Champion, who is listed as a witness to Newton’s death. Those charges were dismissed at the state’s request in May 2023.
In 2024, a Clarke County grand jury indicted Harrell on a second third-degree criminal trespassing charge, again involving Champion’s property. Harrell pleaded guilty in September 2025 and was placed on probation under an order barring adverse contact with Champion. Court records do not show that Newton was involved in either trespassing case.
Remembering Reginald Newton
Newton was born Oct. 20, 1975, in Thomasville. His survivors include his mother, Karen Harvell Smith; his brother, Justin Reginald Newton Jr.; and several nieces, nephews, a great-niece and a great-nephew. Visitation and a memorial service were scheduled for Sept. 18 at O’Bryant Chapel Funeral Home.
What Comes Next
Harrell remains in custody without bond. The next step is a preliminary hearing in Clarke County District Court. If the judge finds probable cause, the case will be sent to a Clarke County grand jury, which will decide whether to return an indictment on the murder charge.
Harrell has not been convicted of any crime in Newton’s death, and he is presumed innocent unless and until the state proves its case.