The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office released information on Wednesday on the tragic killing of two people in October.
Terance Smith, 43, was found dead in an abandoned house off Old Fayette Road on October 20. Police said they were searching for 37-year-old Erik Thomas because they had evidence that Thomas had been at the scene. However, Thomas was found dead two days later.
Family and friends of Thomas said they were devastated after hearing the father, son and successful businessman was labeled a person of interest when he was actually a victim.
Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Task Force captain Jack Kennedy announced Barry Donnell Craig, 51, and Wesley Alexander Rice, 31, have been arrested and charged with capital murder. He said detectives believe there was an ongoing dispute between one of the suspects and one of the victims. He said the investigation is not over and that there is a possibility of more arrests.
Craig was charged in 2001 with capital murder in the death and kidnapping of a victim in Greene County, but the first trial ended in a hung jury. The case was dismissed in 2021 after prosecutors were unable to secure a key witness.
"I met up with the family yesterday, and one of the things that I told them is that law enforcement is constrained because we have to go by the law and we have to go to the truth," Kennedy said. "Our suspects and defendants in our other cases aren't constrained by either one of those factors and that's the difference between having a moral and just society and having an anarchy, so I can only have faith in our state officials and the appointed and elected representatives that they're doing the best possible job that they can and making the best possible judgments they can based on the law and the procedures that they have to do to be fair with everyone."
Craig and Rice are being held in jail without bond. Kennedy said that means the two suspects will not be able to threaten or influence any possible witnesses.
Craig and Rice are considered innocent until proven guilty.
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