On a September day in 2018, the quiet town of Dora, Alabama, was unsettled by a grim discovery. Underneath an Interstate 22 overpass, the bodies of two individuals were found inside a pickup truck, leaving the community searching for answers. The deceased were identified as 70-year-old John Allen Softley, a male, and 30-year-old Monica Jean Graves. Both had suffered fatal gunshot wounds.
John Softley was a well-known figure in the neighboring town of Parrish, where he served as a councilman since early 2017. His commitment to public service extended beyond his role on the town council, as he was also a part-time detective with the Jasper Police Department and had retired as an investigator in Walker County. The news of his violent death sent shockwaves through the local community, with many mourning the loss of a dedicated public servant.
The investigation into the deaths of Softley and Graves soon revealed a tragic turn of events. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences determined that the incident was a murder-suicide. Investigators concluded that Softley had shot and killed Graves before taking his own life. While it was acknowledged that Softley and Graves knew each other, the specifics of their relationship were not publicly disclosed.
The revelation that the respected councilman and police officer was responsible for the death of another before ending his own life left the community in a state of shock and disbelief. The case, which initially appeared to be a double homicide, was closed with the determination of a murder-suicide, leaving behind a painful legacy for the families involved and the community that John Softley had served.
