According to a press release from the Piedmont Police Department and Chief Freddie Norton, on April 9th Piedmont Police Officers responded to a call of someone shot at a residence in the 400 block of Old Piedmont Gadsden Highway.

When officers arrived at the residence, they found 40-year-old Joseph Solomon Nicholas Haywood with a single gunshot wound to the chest. Haywood was transported to Gadsden Regional Medical Center by Piedmont Rescue Squad, where he was pronounced dead.

Piedmont Police arrested 23-year-old Jessie James Beecham and charged him with Murder. Beecham is currently in the Calhoun County Jail, and his bond is set at $60,000. A preliminary court date has been set for May 6th at 1:30 PM.

The shooting was investigated by Piedmont Police Department and the Jacksonville State University Center for Applied Forensics.