‘Hartselle Five’ appear in Alabama court ahead of accused shooter’s trial in murder-for-hire case

DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — Five people accused in the murder-for-hire of a Hartselle man in 2020 appeared in court Friday ahead of the accused shooter’s October trial.

Logan Delp, LaJuhn Keith Smart, Aaron Howard, Jaclyn Skuce and Angela Stolz all appeared in Judge Jennifer Howell’s courtroom for a status hearing on where Delp’s capital murder case stands. Investigators said Skuce contracted Delp to kill Anthony Larry Sheppard, and the others involved all played a role.

Howell told the attorneys that 250 jury summonses will be sent out and that she will schedule the trial to run between Oct. 15-31 but will arrange her schedule in a way that will allow the trial to go longer if needed.

The state said it anticipates taking around three days to present its case against Delp.

All five are charged with the shooting death of Sheppard at his home on Dawson Street in Hartselle. Sheppard and Skuce share a child. The couple was supposed to appear in court the day of the murder for custody and visitation issues, prosecutors said.

When Sheppard didn’t show, police checked his home and found his body. The murder was the first in Hartselle since 2006.

This case could take several years to fully work through the justice system, as each defendant in this case will be tried separately. Howell said Friday that typically the court tries four or five capital murder cases a year. With several other unrelated capital murder cases in Morgan County, the schedule could get complicated.

Howell said that Skuce is tentatively set to be tried after Delp. That is subject to change. Skuce has yet to be given an official trial date.

Howell set another status hearing at the request of Delp’s attorneys for Sept. 26. If convicted, Delp could face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.