State investigators said a death initially reported as a vehicle wreck in Foley in September 2009 was instead being treated as a homicide.
Alabama State Troopers responded early on a Saturday morning to a call on County Road 55 near Magnolia School. At the scene, they found the driver of a 1999 green Ford Mustang dead.
Investigation shifted from crash to homicide
A preliminary review determined that the death had not been caused by a traffic collision, leading troopers to call the Alabama Bureau of Investigation. Investigators said a street sign had been thrown through the vehicle’s front windshield and had struck the driver in the head.
At the time of the report, authorities had not publicly identified the victim. They described the person as a 22-year-old Hispanic man while the investigation continued.
Charges reported at the time
Officials said 19-year-old Jonathan Hadley was being held in the Baldwin County Jail on a murder charge. Authorities also said his father, Albert Hadley, then 39, had been charged with filing a false police report.
Those charges were allegations announced during an active investigation, not convictions. This historical account reflects the information released by state investigators at the time. Later court records would be needed to establish the final disposition of the cases.
The case drew attention because the initial dispatch involved a reported wreck, but investigators later concluded that the circumstances required a homicide investigation. It illustrates the role of troopers and state investigators in reexamining a scene when early evidence conflicts with an apparent traffic-crash explanation.