A dispute between two contract workers at a Baldwin County dirt pit ended with one man dead and another charged — in absentia — with murder, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to the dirt pit operated by Friendship Materials LLC on Friendship Road in Daphne shortly before 10 a.m. June 16 after a report of shots fired. They found 45-year-old Yaphet Hunter of Chunchula suffering from gunshot wounds. An air ambulance was called, but Hunter died at the scene.
Dispute Between Employees
Capt. Clint Cadenhead said the shooting stemmed from some sort of altercation between the two employees, and that one of the men pulled a gun and shot the other. Investigators described it as an isolated incident between the two workers and said they do not believe anyone living nearby was ever in danger.
The entire episode was captured by security cameras at the business, and deputies said there were several witnesses. A neighbor told reporters she heard about six shots before emergency vehicles began arriving.
Colby Cooper of Friendship Materials issued a statement mourning “the loss of life that occurred today because of a heinous act” at the facility and thanking first responders.
Search for the Suspect
The suspect, identified as Marcus Stallworth, fled after the shooting and was last seen in downtown Mobile, where deputies said he was dropped off. He remains wanted for murder and may be armed with a handgun, according to the Sheriff’s Office, which noted he is known to frequent the Maryvale area of Mobile and Prichard.
U.S. Marshals and Mobile police later searched what was believed to be Stallworth’s last known address on Polk Street, but he was not located. Deputies said the car he was last seen in was recovered and was being driven by another witness to the shooting.
Investigators are still working to determine exactly what sparked the dispute. Anyone who sees Stallworth is urged to call 911.