In the summer of 2025, the life of 18-year-old Marion Cedric Poole was tragically cut short. On the evening of June 16th, Poole was found shot to death in an alley in the 4000 block of Avenue H in Birmingham, Alabama. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office officially identified the young man, a resident of Fairfield.
For five months, the investigation into Poole's murder continued without an arrest.
Then, on November 20, 2025, a breakthrough came when the Birmingham Police Department's Crime Reduction Team took a suspect into custody on an unrelated charge. This individual was 24-year-old Stephan Trainer of Birmingham.
Following his arrest, Trainer was charged with the capital murder of Marion Poole. He was subsequently booked into the Jefferson County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
Further investigation into Trainer's background revealed that at the time of Poole's death, he was on probation for a 2021 double shooting. In that case, Trainer had pleaded guilty to charges including attempted murder and first-degree robbery. He received a 20-year split sentence with three years to serve, and after being given credit for time served, he was released and placed on five years of probation. In light of the new capital murder charge, prosecutors have moved to have his probation revoked.
