MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — A 55-year-old man admitted to law enforcement that he killed the man found dead on the Whitesburg Bridge on May 30 after a fight, court documents revealed.
Daniel Ray Shelton, 55, is charged with murder and corpse abuse for the death of David Pierce Merritt and attempting to dispose of his body on a bridge. Shelton was denied bond during an Aniah’s Law hearing on June 13 and is being held at the Marshall County Jail.
According to the Huntsville Police Department, officers responded to a report of a possible dead man on the north side of the Whitesburg Bridge along Highway 231/431 on May 30 around 9:30 a.m.
Court documents say the victim, identified through fingerprints as Merritt, was found in a bloody quilt blanket with his head covered in a garbage bag. Authorities said preliminary findings showed that the man had died from a gunshot wound, and evidence suggested the suspect was attempting to dispose of the body in the Tennessee River.
During law enforcement’s contact with relatives, court records show that enough information was provided to obtain a search warrant for a house. When deputies searched the house, “blood spatter was found in a back bedroom on the walls and in the carpet,” documents say. The document also says a bloody cell phone charging cord and a broken lamp were found.
In the kitchen, according to court records, garbage bags were found having the same serial number as the garbage bag found on Merritt’s head.
Court documents say the “estranged wife” of the suspect, identified as Shelton, was interviewed and she told investigators about an altercation between Shelton and Merritt. She also said she washed Shelton’s clothes, per his request.
Shortly after, documents say Shelton made contact with the Arab Police Department and indicated that he wanted to talk and “attempted to negotiate his surrender.”
After Shelton was observed by an off-duty Arab officer, he was taken into custody during a traffic stop.
While in custody, Shelton gave a recorded statement, in which he said a fight had happened and Merritt threw a lamp at Shelton. Court documents say that after Merritt turned his back, Shelton grabbed Merritt’s .22 from the bed and discharged it into the back of Merritt’s head.
Court documents state Shelton hid Merritt’s cell phone, wallet and identification in a body of water, wrapped Merritt’s body in the quilt blanket and tried to dispose of it on the bridge.
“Since October of 2024, law enforcement [has] responded to numerous domestic violencecalls to the residence. Testimony revealed at least a dozen times [that] the Defendant, theVictim, or both called [the] Arab Police Department. Additionally, a felony Assault charge ispending in Tennessee, alleging Defendant pushed Victim from a moving vehicle,” court documents say.
After the interview, authorities said Shelton was placed under arrest and booked into the Madison County Jail.
Based on the information provided, a Marshall County District Judge denied Shelton bond on June 13.
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