On a late summer afternoon in Dothan, Alabama, the life of Marcell "Muscle" T. Arline Jr., a 28-year-old Black/African American male, was tragically cut short. On August 23, 2017, police responded to a call of shots fired in the 800 block of McKay Street. Arriving at the residence, officers discovered a grim scene: the front of the house was riddled with numerous bullet holes, and inside, they found Arline deceased.
Originally from New Jersey, he had been visiting family in the area and had been staying at the home off and on for several months.
The investigation into the homicide quickly launched, with Dothan police dedicating hundreds of hours to unraveling the events of that fatal day. They conducted dozens of interviews and sorted through numerous statements, piecing together the moments that led to the shooting. The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear, but the nature of the crime—a house being deliberately targeted with gunfire—suggested a calculated act of violence. The community was urged to come forward with any information that could lead to an arrest, with the police assuring that anonymous tips would be protected.
A significant breakthrough in the case came a week later, on August 30, 2017. Investigators arrested 21-year-old Dejarvous Walker Glenn in connection with the murder. At the time of the offense, Glenn was already serving time in Houston County Community Corrections for a previous charge of discharging a firearm into an occupied building. He was subsequently charged with capital murder and held without bond. While Glenn's arrest marked a crucial step, authorities indicated that the investigation was far from over. They believed others may have been involved in the planning, execution, and aftermath of the crime and anticipated more arrests as they continued to pursue leads in the case.
