In the quiet town of Fyffe, Alabama, the life of 36-year-old Michael Arnold Johnson was violently cut short on Saturday, October 11, 2014. The male victim was at his residence on County Road 578 when he was shot multiple times shortly after 4:00 p.m. The shooting was described by the local sheriff as one of the most violent murders he had seen in over two decades.
Following the fatal shooting, the perpetrator fled the scene, sparking a multi-county manhunt. The investigation quickly led authorities to two individuals. James Edward Wooten, 36, of Powell, was apprehended by investigators just before midnight and charged with hindering prosecution.
The alleged shooter was identified as 20-year-old Ben Christopher McClure. He was located near Antioch, on the border of Jackson and DeKalb counties. A tense standoff ensued as McClure, who was in possession of an assault rifle believed to be the murder weapon, had made threats that he would not be taken into custody without a fight. The Special Response Team secured the area around the house where McClure was located and evacuated several nearby residents as a safety precaution. After several hours of negotiations that stretched into the next morning, officers were able to convince four family members to exit the residence. Shortly after, McClure surrendered peacefully.
A subsequent search of the home uncovered the alleged murder weapon, a loaded assault rifle with a 30-round magazine, near where McClure had been sleeping. Evidence was also collected from the vehicle used in the homicide. Ben Christopher McClure was charged with murder and taken to the DeKalb County Detention Center. Johnson’s body was transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science in Huntsville for an autopsy.
