Suspect indicted in 2017 shooting death of Montgomery trial witness

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - A man accused of shooting a trial witness outside of the Montgomery County Courthouse in 2017 has been indicted on three counts of capital murder. Josephus Boone is accused of killing Kelvin Cooley in October 2017, less than five minutes after Cooley had left the courthouse.

Boone is also facing an attempted murder charge for reportedly firing at another person, that being the victim’s sister, and a charge for firing into an occupied dwelling, that being nearby First Baptist Church.

Cooley had just testified against defendant Jacquees Boone, a man on trial for the attempted murder of Alondre Cooley, Kelvin’s brother.

The witness left the courthouse that Oct. 23 afternoon with his sister. They drove down South Lawrence Street and turned right onto Scott Street. There, they parked next to First Baptist Church. It was then that shots were first fired from a vehicle near the victim’s car.

Cooley’s sister reportedly witnessed the shooting and ran from the scene back to the courthouse. She later identified Boone as the shooter in a statement to police.

Cooley reportedly returned fire as the suspect vehicle drove away from the scene. He then ran back to the courthouse and was transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

During a Nov. 2017 court hearing, it was revealed that Boone had called police and said he was involved in the shooting. He turned himself in and initially told police that Cooley fired first. He later said he couldn’t remember who shot first.

Though only one person died, the three capital murder counts are for firing a weapon from inside a vehicle, firing a weapon into an occupied vehicle, and for killing a criminal witness.