In the winter of 2022, the life of 21-year-old Alphonso Morissette, a Black / African American male, was tragically cut short in Dothan, Alabama. On the evening of December 15th, at approximately 6:58 P.M., Dothan Police officers were called to the 1300 block of Alexander Drive following reports of a firearm assault. Upon their arrival, they learned that Morissette had already been transported to Southeast Health in a private vehicle.
He was suffering from a single gunshot wound to his upper torso and was listed in critical condition. Despite undergoing immediate surgery, he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into Morissette's death quickly revealed that he had been targeted in a previous shooting just the night before. On December 14, 2022, around 6:15 P.M., shots were fired at Morissette at the same Alexander Drive location. While he was unharmed in that initial incident, several nearby homes and vehicles were struck by gunfire. Authorities identified two individuals, 20-year-old Zyshawn Codaun Coker and 19-year-old Keith Shakur Helms, both of Dothan, as the suspects in the December 14th shooting. Coker was subsequently arrested and faced multiple charges, including Attempted Murder and Shooting into an Occupied Building. Helms was also implicated in the earlier shooting and faced similar charges.
After a thorough and lengthy investigation into the fatal shooting on December 15th, investigators zeroed in on one of the initial suspects. On December 11, 2023, a warrant for the murder of Alphonso Morissette was issued for Keith Shakur Helms. At the time the warrant was served, Helms was already incarcerated at the Houston County Jail on unrelated charges. He was then formally charged with murder in connection with Morissette's death, and his bond was set at $1.5 million. In August 2024, a Houston County grand jury indicted Helms for the murder, with his arraignment scheduled for early September and a trial date set for November of that year. Helms remained in custody at the Houston County Jail as he awaited his court proceedings.
