MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — A Toney man, one of five charged in a 2020 alleged murder-for-hire, could be released on Friday, according to recently filed court documents.
41-year-old Aaron Carter Howard was arrested on September 2, 2020, in connection to the shooting death of Anthony Larry Sheppard in an alleged murder-for-hire plot.
In a hearing set for Friday, Morgan County Circuit Judge Jennifer Howell could grant a bond to be set for Howard, allowing for him to be released.
On April 21, 2021, Howard was indicted on three counts of capital murder along with Logan Delp, LaJuhn Smart, Jaclyn Skuce and Angela Stolz.
Attorneys for Skuce have also filed a motion asking for a bond to be set, stating that she has no prior criminal history and doesn’t pose a threat. They also say she’s not a flight risk and is entitled to a hearing.
All five are believed to be involved in Sheppard’s death. The 41-year-old father was shot multiple times in his Hartselle home after a relative said he opened the door for someone. His death marked Hartselle’s first homicide since 2006.
The suspect allegedly went to Sheppard’s door in broad daylight and shot several times into the home when Sheppard answered the door. Several bullet holes riddle the interior walls of the house.
Police found Sheppard’s body when he failed to appear in court earlier that day and they checked his home.
Jaclyn Skuce is the mother of Sheppard’s child. Both of them were supposed to appear in court on the day of the murder for custody and visitation issues, prosecutors said.
Investigators said Skuce contracted Delp to kill Sheppard, and the others involved all played a role.
For Logan Delp, there hasn’t been anything filed since June 2022, with mostly expected motions from both attorneys and prosecutors.
Nothing has been filed in the case against LaJuhn Smart since a mental exam was ordered by the court in October 2021.
As for Angela Stolz, the last motion filed was in October of 2021.
A status call hearing remains scheduled for Skuce on September 30. Judge Howell is expected to rule on Howard’s bond request that same day.
