Talladega, Alabama



From the Talladega Daily Home of December 14, 2004

Apparent family dispute leads to shooting death



An apparent family dispute in the Fayetteville community Sunday night left one person dead and has prompted an investigation by the Talladega County Sheriff’s Department.



Martin Benjamin Embry, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene at 5529 Old Fayetteville Road. He was killed by a single shotgun blast to the chest.



Although the investigation remained ongoing Monday afternoon, Chief Deputy Jimmy Kilgore said statements from the numerous eyewitnesses to the incident indicated that Embry had come to his grandfather’s residence, where the shooting occurred, looking for his wife and 2-year-old daughter.



"He made several threats over the course of the evening," Kilgore said, "finally telling everyone there that he was going home, and if his wife and daughter weren’t home with him by 9 p.m., he was going to come back and kill everybody there."



In addition to the wife and child, Talladega County District Attorney Steve Giddens said he believed all of Embry’s grandparents and at least two of his siblings were also in the house at the time.



Embry returned to the house, as promised, at 9 p.m., carrying a rifle, Kilgore said.



"Based on what we’ve found out so far, the grandfather told him several times to put the gun down," according to Kilgore. "Embry then pointed the gun at his grandfather, and the grandfather fired a shotgun and wounded him fatally."



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