Stanley Chatman

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Stanley Brent Chatman (born c. 1988) is a twice-convicted killer accused of two additional murders in June 2013.

Chatman's mother was shot to death when he was two years old, and he was the victim of a shooting at age 16. He raised himself "on the streets" and adopted a mentality of "shoot first" to avoid being victimized.

Chatman shot 17-year-old Derrick Jackson outside the McAlpine Recreation Center at 1115 Avenue F in Ensley on August 27, 2005. He was arrested in August and tried in Clyde Jones' court. He was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter after an hour of jury deliberation, and sentenced to 15 years in prison, with credit for time served. He was released in November 2012 after serving more than half of that sentence.

The following March, Chatman got involved in an argument with his ex-girlfriend over a cell phone, which escalated into physical violence. When he later ran into Derrick King, a neighbor and his ex-girlfriend's cousin, he claimed that King flashed a gun tucked into his waistband and threatened him. Chatman later returned to his family's house, at 517 10th Court North and saw King there arguing with his sister. He shot and killed King on the spot. He claimed he was protecting his sister, but she testified that King had not threatened her and that she did not see him with a gun.

Chatman was arrested and charged, but released four days later on $75,000 bond. King's sister, Nakeisha, retaliated by burning down the Chatman's family home. She was convicted of arson and sentenced to 18 months in prison in April 2014.

In June 2013, Chatman and two other men allegedly burst into a home at 736 Attalla Street in Wylam and began ransacking it while 17-year-old twin brothers Jeremi and Johnathan Berry played video games inside. Their mother, LaTasha, arrived home and saw the suspects on her front porch, beckoning her to come to the house. She panicked and attempted to drive away, but was wounded by one of several bullets fired into her Ford Explorer. One bullet severed her spinal cord, leaving her paralyzed. Meanwhile the suspects re-entered the house and killed the two boys.

Chatman was arrested and charged with capital murder and held without bond while the other gunmen remained at large. Crystal Nelson, 21, is believed to have driven their getaway car. She was arrested and charged with felony murder, with bond set at $1 million.

Chatman was convicted of King's murder on May 7, 2014.

References

  • Stein, Kelsey (March 2, 2013) "Man charged with murder in Friday shooting has previous manslaughter conviction." The Birmingham News
  • Robinson, Carol (July 3, 2013) "Aunt of slain Wylam twins on today's arrests: "I want to know what possesses somebody to do something like that." The Birmingham News
  • Faulk, Kent (May 7, 2014) "While awaiting trial in Wylam twins' slayings Stanley Chatman convicted of murdering Birmingham man." The Birmingham News