Attorney General Steve Marshall Announces Court of Criminal Appeals Upholds Murder Conviction in Jefferson County
(MONTGOMERY)—Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the convictions of Luther G. Gray, 27, for murder. Gray was convicted in Jefferson County Circuit Court on August 8, 2019, for the murder of Eric Cotton as well as attempted murder and burglary in the first degree.
The evidence at trial showed that on January 15, 2018, police officers were dispatched to the home of Eric Cotton where they found Cotton dead from gunshot wounds fired at at close range. An eyewitness testified that the shooting was the result of more than a two-hour standoff wherein Gray physically held Cotton at gunpoint before shooting and killing Cotton. In addition to murdering Cotton, Gray also attempted to murder another
person during the standoff.
Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr's office successfully prosecuted this case and obtained guilty verdicts. Gray was sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder conviction and 20 years' imprisonment for his burglary and attempted murder convictions. Gray sought to have his convictions reversed on appeal.
The Attorney General's Criminal Appeals Division handled the case during the appeals process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm Gray's convictions. The Court did so in a decision issued Friday October 9.
Attorney General Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General Cameron Ball for his successful work on this case, and thanked District Attorney Danny Carr and his staff for their valuable assistance in defending the Gray's numerous convictions.