On a summer evening in Sylacauga, Alabama, the life of Bradford Franklin Isbell, a 46-year-old White/Caucasian male, was brought to a violent and tragic end. On June 23, 2021, outside a residence on Harper Springs Road, Isbell was fatally shot in what investigators would later describe as a calculated murder-for-hire plot. When Sylacauga Police officers responded to a call around 10:00 p.m., they discovered Isbell deceased at the scene.
Inside the home, another individual, 32-year-old Rachel Elizabeth Hayes, was found with multiple gunshot wounds. Hayes was airlifted to a hospital in Birmingham for treatment and ultimately survived the attack.
The investigation into Isbell's death uncovered a conspiracy that extended behind the walls of the Jefferson County Jail. Authorities allege that two inmates, brothers Montrell and Markkeis Towns, orchestrated the murder to prevent Isbell from testifying against Montrell Towns in a case involving the severe assault of two other inmates in 2019. The brothers allegedly enlisted the help of three women to carry out their plan: Kiera Monthelia Turner, Allana Amani Reid, and Tahila Myicole Lomax. These women were later charged with capital murder and murder-for-hire for their alleged roles in facilitating the plot.
As the case progressed, a Jefferson County grand jury handed down indictments against all five individuals. Markkeis Towns was identified as the alleged shooter in the incident. By June of 2024, all five suspects had been indicted and were awaiting trial for their involvement in Isbell's death. The legal proceedings were ongoing, with at least one motion to dismiss an indictment based on jurisdictional questions, as the crime occurred in Talladega County while the alleged conspiracy was orchestrated from Jefferson County.
