Lee County, AL — Two men died by suicide in separate incidents Tuesday night after Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies responded to unrelated calls, officials confirmed Wednesday. The two deaths occurred within hours of each other in different parts of the county, prompting external investigations as standard procedure.
First Incident: Domestic Disturbance Ends in Suicide
The first call came in around 6:57 p.m. Tuesday, when dispatch received a report of a domestic disturbance involving a suspect attempting to set a vehicle on fire, according to an LCSO news release.
Deputies responded about ten minutes later to the 100 block of Lee Road 831 in the Salem community, where they saw the suspect’s vehicle leaving the scene.
An attempted traffic stop led to a brief chase, which ended when the driver stopped at the intersection of Lee Road 241 and Lee Road 240, where deputies had set up a perimeter.
“The driver shot himself while seated in the vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said in its statement.
Deputies found the man with a single gunshot wound to the head and a handgun nearby. The LCSO identified him as 54-year-old Billy Harold Morris Jr. of Phenix City.
Second Incident: Search Warrant Leads to Gunshot Inside Home
Just under two hours later, a second tragedy unfolded when deputies arrived at a residence to serve a search warrant related to a sexual assault investigation.
The incident occurred around 8:27 p.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of Lee Road 2222, according to The Ledger-Enquirer. Investigators were attempting to enter the home when they heard a single gunshot from inside.
“Before investigators could enter, a single gunshot was heard coming from the back of the residence,” the LCSO said.
Deputies secured the area and waited for additional backup before entering. Inside, they found 35-year-old Charles Jantsin Murphy dead in his bed from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Both incidents were separate and unrelated, the sheriff’s office confirmed. The Opelika Police Department has been asked to assist in investigating both deaths as part of standard protocol.
“It is standard procedure for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office to contact an outside agency to investigate a case whenever a firearm has been discharged in the presence of Lee County deputies,” both news releases stated.
Sheriff Jones Addresses Deputies’ Mental Health
Following the two incidents, Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said counseling and wellness resources are available to deputies who responded to the traumatic scenes.
“We want to make sure that we learn from whatever circumstance,” Jones said. “In many cases, we may find that everything was done the way it should’ve been done, and it was just one of those things that would have been extremely difficult to prevent.”
Jones noted that it’s rare for two suicides involving suspects to occur within such a short time frame and in the same county. He confirmed both cases will be presented to a grand jury as part of standard review procedures.
“In most cases we’re able to effect an arrest or take action without the result that we had last night,” Jones added.
Separate but Tragic Events
Sheriff Jones emphasized that the two incidents were not connected in any way, describing them as isolated events. Still, he acknowledged the toll such cases can take on deputies and communities alike.
Both investigations remain ongoing, and officials said final findings will be reviewed once the grand jury process is complete.
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