A defendant in the Dadeville Sweet 16 party mass shooting is asking for access to the cell phones of the victims.
An attorney for Willie George Brown, Jr., said information on the phones could show at least one of the victims intended to harm their client.
Brown and five other suspects are charged with four counts of reckless murder, 24 counts of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree assault in the April 15 shooting that killed four and injured 25.
Brown, 20, of Auburn; Wilson Hill, 21, of Notasulga; Johnny Brown, 21, of Tuskegee; Sherman Peters III, 16, of Tuskegee; Travis McCullough, 17, of Notasulga; and Ty Reik McCullough, 18, of Notasulga, are those charged.
The four killed were Shaunkivia Nicole Smith, 17, of Dadeville; Marsiah Emmanuel Collins, 19, of Opelika; Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, of Dadeville; and Philstavious Dowdell, 18, of Camp Hill.
Attorneys said they previously requested access to the victims' phones but were notified by the District Attorney's office that they did not have them. The defense claims investigators did, in fact, have possession of the physical phones.
"Information contained on these phones, especially that of Philstavious Dowdell is most needed by Defense Counsel as it would go to possible intent by Mr. Dowdell to do physical harm to Mr. Brown," the court filing states.
Tallapoosa County Judge Kevin Hall recused himself from the case. Judge William Whorton was assigned to take over.
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