In the summer of 2017, the city of Prattville, Alabama, was rocked by a brutal triple homicide that claimed the life of 56-year-old Eddie Dean Scott. The violent episode unfolded late on the night of July 3rd at the Hook-Up Barber and Style Shop, a local business that should have been closed for the evening. Instead, it became the scene of a robbery that escalated to murder, leaving a community in shock and three families grieving.
Two armed men, later identified as Marty Morgan, 35, and
Keon Dashon Cain, 19, arrived at the barbershop around 10:30 p.m. Because Morgan was known to those inside, he was allowed entry after knocking. Morgan was armed with a handgun, while his accomplice, Cain, brandished a shotgun and wore a mask. Once inside, the pair announced a robbery.
During the commission of the crime, a struggle ensued. Witnesses reported that Eddie Dean Scott grabbed the shotgun held by Cain, at which point Morgan fatally shot Scott in the head with his handgun. The violence did not end there. Two other men, 50-year-old Al Seals Benson and 46-year-old Anthony Smith, were also shot and killed. One victim was found dead inside the barbershop, another died after being pursued into the parking lot of a neighboring convenience store, and the third passed away en route to the hospital.
In the days following the murders, law enforcement launched an intensive investigation. Keon Deshon Cain was taken into custody on July 5, 2017, and charged with three counts of murder, with additional charges pending. Marty Morgan remained at large for a short time, with authorities considering him armed and extremely dangerous, before he was also apprehended. Both men were eventually indicted on two counts of capital murder, one count of burglary, and seven counts of armed robbery.
In April 2018, court proceedings began to shed light on the legal strategies of the accused. Marty Morgan entered a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. His accomplice, Keon Cain, sought youthful offender status, which, if granted, could have resulted in a more lenient sentence and a sealed record. At the time, the District Attorney’s office was reportedly considering pursuing the death penalty for both defendants, a sentence that underscored the brutal nature of the crime that took the life of Eddie Scott and two other innocent men.
