Capital murder suspect Koston McWaters has revamped defense team

DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) - Capital murder suspect Koston McWater’s defense team is shuffling as he awaits trial in the shooting of a Dothan businessman.

James Tarbox withdrew from the case on Friday following his appointment as Coffee County and Pike County district attorney.

He is replaced by Andalusia’s Christopher Sledge whose law partner, Manish Patel, has represented McWaters since his arrest last year.

McWaters is among two men charged in the death of Robert Blount, a FedEx contractor killed at his Dothan home on Labor Day weekend.

Dothan Police Investigator Morgan Owens testified during an October 7 pretrial hearing that McWaters admitted his involvement in the crime.

She testified that he changed his story multiple times before settling on one version that he knew codefendant Mekhi Telfair planned to shoot Blount when McWaters drove him to the victim’s home.

Owens also testified that McWaters apparently remained in his car while Telfair fired the deadly shots.

The shooting, per Owens, stemmed from a racial slur Blount used when speaking to his girlfriend who attended a party with the two suspects and had her phone in speaker mode.

Neither McWaters nor Telfair have a trial date.

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