Two face capital murder charges in ‘burglary gone bad’ in Seale, Russell sheriff says

Two men looking for food and beer have been charged with capital murder in the Jan. 7 deaths of William Perry and his companion, Deborah Peay, in their Seale, Ala., home, Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor said Thursday.

Daryus Sullivan, 21, and Joshua James Pickard, 34, were taken into custody by investigators at 217 Logan Drive in the High Ridge Trailer Park in the Fort Mitchell, Mount Olive area. Each faces a capital murder charge in the two deaths and will be held without bond in the Russell County Jail.

Taylor said Perry, 65, and Peay, 50, were shot and killed sometime between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sunday, on Jan. 6 inside their 62 Silver Run Drive home during a burglary that went awry. Gasoline was used to ignite a fire to destroy any evidence in the case, the sheriff said.

“It is sad that after looking at and speaking to both individuals, the motive in this case is going to be burglary,” Taylor said. “We believe they went there to steal a car and they went there to steal something out of the house and everything went bad.”

The victims had no connection to the suspects who were seen on bicycles at the White Spot gas station before the shooting and fire. Investigators found Peay’s 2001 Honda Accord at 17 Alexander Loop in the garage of a vacant house about a quarter-mile from the victims’ home. The door was down on the garage while investigators were out looking for the vehicle.

Investigators also have located a .32-caliber Walther semi-automatic pistol that is believed to be the murder weapon. It will be tested at the crime lab to compare bullets recovered from the bodies.

After working around the clock on the case, Taylor said an anonymous tip called into the sheriff’s office Tuesday led to the arrests.

“The entire unit has worked tirelessly since that day we got the call on Sunday about this case,” he said. “That is how cases get solved. That is how cases that is a true who done it type murder get solved.”

The caller may be eligible for a $5,000 reward the sheriff’s office had posted for leads in the case.

This story was originally published January 17, 2019 at 3:27 PM.