Suspect in weekend homicide in Alabama caught in Columbus, authorities say

The suspect in a Saturday fatal shooting in Phenix City, Alabama, has been captured in Columbus, authorities said.

Phenix City police said officers were called at 1:57 a.m. Saturday to reports of someone shot at 501 16th Ave., and found Brakevious Williams with multiple gunshot wounds.

The 20-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, investigators said.

The department’s criminal investigations division determined the primary suspect in Williams’ death was Michael James Mayberry Jr., also 20, according to a news release.

Muscogee County Sheriff’s deputies and the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force arrested Mayberry in Columbus, where he was booked into the Muscogee County Jail as a fugitive from justice, according to police and the Muscogee County sheriff.

He will face a murder charge when extradited back to Alabama, police said.

Tim Chitwood

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

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Tim Chitwood is from Seale, Alabama, and started as a police beat reporter with the Ledger-Enquirer in 1982. He since has covered Columbus’ serial killings and other homicides, following some from the scene of the crime to trial verdicts and ensuing appeals. He also has been a Ledger-Enquirer humor columnist since 1987. He’s a graduate of Auburn University, and started out working for the weekly Phenix Citizen in Phenix City, Ala.