In the quiet community of Rainbow City, Alabama, Tony DeWayne McCartney, a 50-year-old male, was found deceased in his home on Sunday, November 6, 2016. The discovery was made after a welfare check was conducted at his residence, leading to the initiation of a homicide investigation. McCartney, born on September 29, 1966, in Gadsden, was known as a hardworking owner and operator of a logging business. He was a father and a cherished friend to many in his community.
The investigation into his death revealed that McCartney had been fatally wounded by gunfire. He lived alone on a substantial forty-acre property and was known to possess numerous firearms and keep large amounts of cash at his home. These details would later prove significant in understanding the motive behind the tragic event. The circumstances of his death pointed towards a planned crime rather than a random act of violence.
The subsequent police investigation led to the arrest of Hunter Dewayne Bellew of Gadsden. The connection between the two was not one of strangers; Bellew's father was a best friend of McCartney, and Bellew had been a guest in McCartney's home on previous occasions. Evidence presented at trial showed that on the night of November 5, 2016, Bellew and an acquaintance were dropped off near McCartney's residence. Bellew's friend, however, refused to participate in the planned crime and left the scene. Bellew proceeded with the burglary, which resulted in McCartney's death. After the murder, Bellew stole several of the victim's weapons and later sold them to obtain drugs.
During the course of the investigation, Bellew confessed to burglarizing McCartney's home, killing him, and stealing one of his vehicles. Following a trial in the Etowah County Circuit Court, Hunter Dewayne Bellew was convicted of the capital murder of Tony McCartney on April 22, 2022. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Bellew's attempt to have his conviction overturned on appeal was unsuccessful, with the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirming the original verdict on February 3, 2023.
