On the night of September 17, 2023, in Cullman, Alabama, the life of 37-year-old Thomas James Brannon was tragically cut short. Near the 200 block of Hickory Avenue SW, Brannon, a white male, was fatally shot. Emergency responders arrived at the scene around 10:55 p.m. and transported him to Cullman Regional Medical Center, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The Cullman County Coroner's office later confirmed his death, and an autopsy was scheduled with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences to determine the precise cause.
Authorities quickly identified a suspect in the shooting: 36-year-old John Wesley Drozda. Following the incident, Drozda fled the area, prompting a manhunt by the Cullman Police Department. The public was cautioned that Drozda was considered armed and dangerous, and a reward was offered for information leading to his whereabouts. The search for Drozda concluded the following day, on September 18, 2023, when law enforcement located and apprehended him at a Red Roof Inn in the nearby city of Hartselle. He was taken into custody without incident.
Following his arrest, John Wesley Drozda was charged with the murder of Thomas James Brannon. After a four-day trial, a Cullman County jury found Drozda guilty of murder on August 21, 2025. Subsequently, on October 1, 2025, a Cullman County Circuit Judge sentenced Drozda to 90 years in prison for his role in Brannon's death. Thomas James Brannon, who was born on April 11, 1986, in Morgan County, Alabama, and worked as a roofer, was laid to rest on September 22, 2023, at Center Cemetery in Danville.
