In July 2011, 54-year-old Fredrick 'Gene' Scheinert, a Caucasian male, was found deceased at the Hospitality Inn located on 7th Avenue South in Birmingham, Alabama. Initially, the cause of his death was not immediately clear. However, a subsequent autopsy revealed that Scheinert had died as a result of blunt force trauma. At the time of the autopsy, his blood alcohol level was recorded at. 27.
Scheinert, who had been experiencing homelessness, was known to frequently stay at or near the motel property.
The investigation into Scheinert's death led to the arrest of Gregory Chancey, who was 38 years old at the time. Chancey had a long history with the motel, having both lived and worked there for approximately 15 years. Reports from the investigation indicated that he and Scheinert had a long-standing acquaintance and had spent many weekends drinking together. Eyewitness testimony suggested that on the day of the incident, Scheinert was already heavily intoxicated and lying on a concrete slab before Chancey emerged from his room.
Gregory Chancey was ultimately charged with murder in connection with Scheinert's death. His trial took place in September 2014, but the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, resulting in a mistrial. The jury was reportedly deadlocked, with nine jurors leaning towards a conviction for the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide and three favoring a not-guilty verdict. To avoid a retrial on the murder charge, Chancey later entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors.
As part of the plea deal, Chancey pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of criminally negligent homicide. Following his guilty plea, a judge sentenced him to a one-year sentence, with the order to serve six months in the Jefferson County Jail. The defense attorney noted that a medical examiner had testified that Scheinert's fatal injury could have been caused by either blunt force trauma or a fall.
