In the quiet city of Pelham, Alabama, a dispute over a pickup truck on a March weekend in 1997 escalated into a horrific act of violence that claimed four lives. Randy Gerald Duke, a 39-year-old male, was shot and killed in his home. Also found dead were his fiancée, 29-year-old Dedra Mims Hunt, and her two young daughters, 6-year-old Chelisa and 7-year-old Chelsea.
The gruesome discovery was reported to the police by Randy's own son, 16-year-old Mark Anthony Duke.
Initially, Mark Duke portrayed himself as the distraught son who had stumbled upon a horrific scene. However, the investigation soon unraveled a far more sinister story. The motive for the slayings was Mark's anger at his father for refusing to let him borrow his truck. Fueled by this rage, Mark, along with his friends Michael Brandon Samra, then 19, Mike Ellison, and David Collins, plotted the murders.
On the evening of March 23, 1997, the plan was put into motion. Randy Duke and Dedra Hunt were both shot. The two young girls, Chelisa and Chelsea, had their throats cut. The brutality of the crime sent shockwaves through the community. The subsequent investigation led to the arrests of Mark Duke and his friends.
In 1999, Mark Anthony Duke was convicted of capital murder. The jury recommended a death sentence, which the trial court initially imposed. However, due to his age at the time of the crime, his sentence was later changed to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Michael Brandon Samra was also convicted of capital murder for his role in the killings and was executed in May 2019. Mike Ellison and David Collins were also convicted for their involvement and were released from prison in 2013 after serving most of their sentences.
