Opp Man Convicted of Murder

Megan Reardon

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Posted by: MReardon
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Date: May 19 2023 8:06 PM

On Wednesday, a Covington County jury convicted a 50-year-old Opp man, Anthony James "A.J." Siler, of murder and abuse of a corpse for the July 2019 shooting death of another Opp man, Michael Devone Davis, age 44.

The jury, which consisted of four men and eight women, deliberated for about an hour before returning with the guilty verdict.

State prosecutors were Assistant District Attorney Nikki Stephens and District Attorney Walt Merrell, and Circuit Judge Charles "Lex" Short presided over the trial.

The district attorney’s office presented evidence during the trial showing that on the evening Davis was murdered, he and Siler had several interactions, some heated.

One witness testified in court that Siler became aggressive at one point and told this witness he would kill Davis.

Other witnesses said they saw Siler later that night swerve towards Davis who was walking down the road; these same witnesses also testified that they saw Siler get out of his vehicle and walk up to Davis with a shotgun and squeezed the trigger at point-blank range, shooting him in the chest.

At another point during the night, he allegedly threatened to kill the witnesses and one’s family if they did not do as Siler instructed.

Davis’s body was dumped in swamp-like area on New Hope Church Road towards Florala.

Siler was arrested the next morning.

Siler also took the stand defending himself at one point during the trial and said that Davis approached him with a stick and knife, but it was previously said that Davis was unarmed with any weapons by other witnesses.

He admitted he killed Davis but did so in self defense. 

A sentencing hearing will be held on June 28.

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