The trial in one of the most intriguing cases in recent Elmore County history is set to begin March 12 in the courtroom of Circuit Judge Sibley Reynolds.
With a fresh haircut, wearing a suit and with several family and friends in the courtroom, Madison Holton, accused of killing his father, appeared before Reynolds Thursday morning to request that a trial date be set.
Holton’s attorney, Thomas J. Azar Jr., did most of the talking, but couldn’t be heard over the din of attorneys and defendants talking as the plea docket got underway.
After the appearance, Azar said that no trial date was set on site, but that he expected to receive an order confirming a date quickly.
“I would think that the order could come (Thursday) afternoon,” Azar said.
And it did.
Holton, 18, is charged with the Sept. 11, 2016 shooting death of his father, Michael Holton, a former mayor of Eclectic who stepped down from that office due to what he said were “family issues.” Madison Holton will be tried as an adult.
Also shot to death that Sunday afternoon was Madison Holton’s mother, April Owenby. Holton was also charged with his mother’s death, but a grand jury refused to indict him on those charges.
Since the deaths of his parents, Madison Holton has seen his bond, originally set at $1 million, cut to $300,00 and then to its current amount of $150,000.
In addition, Owenby’s father and brother, Charles Owenby and Michael Evans have publicly asserted their belief the deaths were a murder-suicide and that Michael Holton killed his wife, then turned the gun on himself.
“It was definitely abundantly clear that (Michael Holton) wanted to kill himself,” Evans told The Herald in August, citing a six-to-eight page suicide manifesto that Holton wrote and Evans said the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office found.
Thursday Azar said an expert has examined the note and determined that the handwriting is that of Michael Holton.
However, Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said days after the crime that Michael Holton “did not have a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
“It is apparent that he was shot close contact, but in the back of his head – not self inflicted,” Franklin said at the time. “The only other person in the house that had means is (Madison Holton).”
Evans also contends that Michael Holton was a drug user and that drug use contributed to his decision to step down as Eclectic’s mayor and may have played a role in the violence of Sept. 11.
Also in August, The Herald obtained the toxicology report on Michael Holton’s body that indicated three opioid or opioid-like substances, including hydrocodone and oxycodone, were found in his system at the time of his death.
Conversely, Franklin contended early in the investigation that Madison Holton had a “self-proclaimed” issue with becoming “agitated” if he had not used marijuana and Adderall.
Even the timeline of the crime was unusual, with sheriff’s deputies making two trips to the Holton residence, first after a call from Michael Holton and approximately a half-hour later after a call from Madison Holton.
At about 4 p.m. on the day of the shooting, Franklin said his department received a call from Michael Holton who, along with Owenby, was upset because Madison had thrown a party the previous night at their house. Michael Holton said party-goers had “trashed the house” and deputies later found drug paraphernalia and evidence of drug activity.
ECSO deputies responded to the Holton residence, arriving a short time later, and spoke with Michael Holton in the front yard, Franklin said. Holton told deputies he was trying to discipline his son. Madison was handcuffed and sitting on the couch when deputies arrived.
Franklin said Madison did not speak while deputies were there. After a search during which deputies took photos and confiscated drug paraphernalia, officers informed Michael Holton he could go to the juvenile probation office the next morning to sign a petition against his son, Franklin said. Holton indicated he would do so.
Franklin said authorities got another call about 20-25 minutes later. Madison Holton had gone to a neighbor and told them something happened at his parents’ house and that there was an argument of some kind.
When authorities arrived at the Holton residence the second time, Michael Holton was dead and Owenby was taken to a Montgomery hospital with severe head trauma, Franklin said.
April Owenby later died from her injuries.
Madison Holton was arrested the day after the shootings.
