In the winter of 2016, the life of Norman Deon Crayton, a 40-year-old Black / African American man from Dadeville, Alabama, was tragically cut short. On January 17, 2016, his body was discovered by hunters in a wooded area off Barron's Bridge Road. An investigation revealed that he had died from multiple gunshot wounds. At the time of his passing, Crayton was a resident of Dadeville and was married to Lakeisha Crayton.
The evening before his body was found, Norman Crayton had been seen
at a local tavern playing pool. Witnesses reported that he was in the company of Matthew Clate McDaniel, a 33-year-old former cast member of the History Channel reality series "Bamazon." The two men were acquainted, having previously worked together at an excavation company that McDaniel had established after his time on the television show.
Following the discovery of Crayton's body, the investigation quickly focused on McDaniel. He was arrested and charged with the murder of Norman Deon Crayton. At the time of his arrest, his bond was set at $250,000. While authorities did not immediately speculate on a motive, the legal process moved forward.
After more than two years of legal proceedings, the case against Matthew Clate McDaniel went to trial. In June 2018, a Tallapoosa County jury, after hearing four days of testimony and reviewing evidence that included the alleged murder weapon, found McDaniel guilty of the murder of Norman Crayton. The jury deliberated for just 50 minutes before reaching their verdict. Under Alabama law, due to the involvement of a firearm in the crime, McDaniel faced a sentence ranging from 20 to 99 years, or a potential life sentence.
