Warren Slater

Warren Slater (born c. 1967 - died September 16, 2008) was a former refrigerator repairman who pleaded guilty to defrauding the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is believed to have killed his wife and critically injured a step-son before killing himself.

Slater graduated from West End High School in 1985. In 2002 he enrolled as a Section 8 landlord with HUD, renting property at 541 Francis Street in West End. Two years later he married his tenant, Angie Felton, and moved into the house himself. He illegally continued to receive rent assistance vouchers from HUD, though their joint income would have made them ineligible for the program.

Slater and Felton were indicted in late 2007 and pleaded guilty to the charges. He was fired from his job. A hearing to determine whether he would serve his two year sentence on probation was scheduled for Friday September 19, 2008. He was also facing trial on charges of fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance.

Slater had been injured in a motorcycle accident shortly beforehand. He and his wife had been involved in an ongoing domestic dispute. He was also suffering from an unstated medical condition in the weeks leading up to his court appearance. His lawyer filed unsuccessfully to transfer his case to the Mental Health Court.

On the afternoon of September 16, the oldest of Felton's four children, Torrence, was found suffering from a gunshot wound to the head on the sidewalk in front of a house up the block from Slater's residence. He was taken to UAB Hospital and remains in critical condition. Neighbors said that Slater and Ms Felton were both inside their house. Birmingham Police surrounded the house with tactical and SWAT units, but were unable to make contact. After a 6-hour standoff police fired tear-gas canisters into the house and then entered. They found Slater and Felton both dead from gunshot wounds to the head lying together in bed.

Investigators speculate that he had shot his wife and step-son earlier. The son may have escaped the house while Slater returned and killed himself.

References

• Robinson, Carol (September 18, 2008) "Shooter in West End standoff faced prison time for housing fraud." Birmingham News