In the late afternoon of November 30, 2021, emergency services in Birmingham, Alabama, responded to a report of a fire at an apartment complex in the 1900 block of 15th Avenue South. First responders arrived at approximately 5:40 p.m. to find smoke coming from one of the units. Inside, they made a grim discovery: the body of 53-year-old Steve Austin Threatt.
It was soon determined that Threatt had been fatally stabbed, and the fire was believed to have been set after the fact.
The Birmingham Police Department launched a homicide investigation into the death of the male victim. Their inquiries led them to a suspect, 44-year-old Jesse Mitchell Owen. Owen was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of Steve Threatt. The case proceeded through the legal system, culminating in a trial that began in August 2024.
The trial was held in the courtroom of Jefferson County Circuit Judge Kandice Pickett. The prosecution was handled by Deputy District Attorneys Lauren Breland and Niki Franks, while Jesse Mitchell Owen was represented by Chad Black and Alex Mason from the Jefferson County Public Defender's Office. During the trial, the defense did not present any witnesses. After deliberations, the jury found Owen guilty of murder. His sentencing was scheduled for October 7, 2024.
