Baldwin County juveniles charged as adults in fish camp shooting

By Graham Heath countynews@gulfcoastnewspapers.com
Posted 4/17/12

BAY MINETTE, Alabama — The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office has upgraded charges to first-degree burglary for three juveniles allegedly involved in a theft plan at a fishing camp on Gravine Island Sunday in which a Baldwin County High School …

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Baldwin County juveniles charged as adults in fish camp shooting

Posted

BAY MINETTE, Alabama — The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office has upgraded charges to first-degree burglary for three juveniles allegedly involved in a theft plan at a fishing camp on Gravine Island Sunday in which a Baldwin County High School female was critically injured.

The juveniles, all 17, have been charged as adults and removed from juvenile confinement to the Baldwin County Corrections Center, according to Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack.

The juveniles are Scott Tipton Byrd, of Stapleton, Daniel Parnell, of Bay Minette, and Dillon Wade Tyree, of Stapleton. Baldwin County High School student Summer Moody was with the group and was critically injured by gunfire from the camp occupants when the alleged break-in occurred.

Mack said noise at 4 a.m. prompted two of the three men in the camp to fire rifles in the darkness at the intruders. One shot hit Moody in the head. She was 15- to 30-feet from the dwelling, Mack said. She is listed in critical condition at the University of South Alabama Medical Center.

 Investigators are not sure at this time which rifle delivered the blow or the exact location of the juveniles. Mack said the motive appears to be burglary, and that preliminary evidence indicates the males had broken into at least two other dwellings on the remote island.

The juvenile males originally were charged with third-degree burglary. Those charges were upgraded late today to first-degree burglary, a Class A felony which requires an attempted entrance and possession of a dangerous instrument, District Attorney Hallie Dixon said. No charges have been filed agains the men, but an investigation is continuing, Dixon said. She said she spent about two hours this afternoon with investigators and Marine Police reviewing the scene.

 “We are going to attempt to video the settings and scene at night to duplicate the lighting,” Dixon said. “We want to know whether the woman should have been seen. But there is no evidence of a criminal act on the part of the occupants.”

 Mack said Moody’s involvement in the incident is one of the elements being investigated. The juveniles will be held until their appearance before a judge who will set a bond at a yet to be determined time.