New Details Revealed in Fort Payne Double Murder Case During Preliminary Hearing
FORT PAYNE — New details emerged Thursday morning in the Fort Payne double murder case as Jacob Mitchum, 27, of Oxford, appeared before DeKalb County District Judge Jeff McCurdy for a preliminary hearing at the DeKalb County Courthouse.
Mitchum is charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Alisha Keller, 27, and her husband, Logan Brown, 24, both of Fort Payne. The couple was found fatally shot at their home on Alabama Avenue in the Fort Payne Housing Authority complex on the evening of November 9, 2025.
Fort Payne Police Detective Tony Blackwell was the sole witness to testify during the hearing, which lasted less than 30 minutes. Blackwell provided a detailed account of the events leading up to and following the shootings.
According to Blackwell, Mitchum and Keller shared two children. Mitchum had full custody, while Keller had supervised visitation rights. On November 9, the two had a scheduled visitation in Oxford, where Mitchum lived. Blackwell testified that an incident occurred during the visitation, resulting in both Mitchum and Keller filing police reports with the Oxford Police Department.
After the visitation, Keller returned to Fort Payne and later that evening was at home with her husband. Around 6 p.m., Fort Payne Police responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting at the residence. When officers and first responders arrived, Keller and Brown were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
Blackwell testified that shortly after the shooting, Fort Payne Police dispatch received information indicating Mitchum had admitted to shooting the couple. He said Mitchum called several family members and acquaintances, confessing to the killings. Mitchum also FaceTimed his mother, who was in Oxford with the two children, stating he wanted to speak with them “one last time” before turning himself in.
Mitchum’s mother provided law enforcement with a description of the vehicle he was driving, prompting a BOLO alert. Authorities later located Mitchum in Calhoun County.
Surveillance footage from four security cameras at the Housing Authority complex was also discussed during the hearing. Blackwell testified that video shows Mitchum arriving at the couple’s home, removing an item from his vehicle, and entering the residence through the back door. Approximately 22 seconds later, Mitchum is seen jogging back to his vehicle and driving away. Blackwell stated he believes the item Mitchum retrieved from his vehicle was the murder weapon, a .40-caliber pistol.
Investigators recovered 14 shell casings from the scene, which Blackwell described as the maximum capacity for the firearm used. Mitchum told investigators the pistol belonged to him, though it had been purchased by Keller.
During an interview conducted the day after the shooting, Blackwell said Mitchum admitted to shooting Keller and Brown but claimed the act was in self-defense, stating he had been pushed by Brown and initially stabbed him before firing the gun. Blackwell testified he found no evidence to support a claim of self-defense.
The preliminary cause of death for both Keller and Brown was listed as multiple gunshot wounds. Autopsy results are pending.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge McCurdy ruled that sufficient probable cause exists and ordered the case to be bound over to a DeKalb County grand jury for further consideration.
