Appeals Court Upholds Geneva County Murder Conviction

Attorney General Luther Strange announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals last Friday upheld the murder conviction of Shawn Adkison. Adkison, 42, of Slocomb, was convicted in Geneva County Circuit Court in August of 2015 for the murder of Debbie Ayers.

Evidence presented at trial showed that Adkison was involved in a dispute with Ayers and that he killed her on August 14, 2014. Ayers died of blunt force trauma to the head.

The case was prosecuted at trial by Geneva County District Attorney Kirke Adams’ office. Adkison was sentenced to a term of 85 years’ imprisonment. Adkison subsequently sought to have his conviction reversed on appeal.

The Attorney General's Criminal Appeals Section handled the case during the appeals process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm the conviction. The Court did so in a decision issued on Friday, July 1.

Attorney General Strange commended Assistant Attorney General Beth Slate Poe of the Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Section for her successful work in this case.