One of the men accused in the 2020 murder of seven people in rural Morgan County asked the judge overseeing his case to allow him to attend church, according to court documents.

In a handwritten letter on notepaper submitted earlier this month, John Michael Legg told Morgan County Circuit Judge Stephen Brown he had been “removed from Sunday church services.”

Legg, 22, of Hartselle, along with Frederic Allen Rogers, 24, of Woodville, is charged with capital murder in the June 4, 2020 shootings of seven people in a house on Talucah Road in Valhermoso Springs in eastern Morgan County.

The defendants have been in the Morgan County Jail with no bail since their arrests in Marion County, Oregon, on June 21, 2020.

A status hearing is set for both Legg and Rogers on October 2 at 11 a.m.

In a one-page letter, Legg wrote to Brown:

“I’ve made some mistakes since I’ve been in jail, but fellowship is an important part of being a Christian. I’m trying to better myself through attending church and other faith based classes. Please don’t let my lapse in judgment affect my growth in grace.”

Legg went on to ask Brown, “Please your honor, allow me to return to fellowship with those who come here from Beltline Church of Christ.”

It is unclear what prompted the letter. An order from Brown on April 4 directed Legg to address any motions or communication through his attorneys.

Legg attempted last year to escape from jail, according to authorities.

At a preliminary hearing on Aug. 15, 2021, FBI investigator Chris Hendon testified that Rogers gave a written statement that said he fatally shot James Wayne Benford, 22, of Decatur, Jeramy Roberts, 31, of Athens, Roger Lee Jones Jr., 20, of Decatur, and William Zane Hodgin, 18, of Somerville.

Rogers’ statement, according to Hendon, said Legg was responsible for the shooting deaths of homeowner Tammy England Muzzey, 45, Emily Payne, 21, and Dakota Green, 17, all of Valhermoso Springs.

Authorities found about 60 spent bullet casings in the house, and a witness said all of the victims died of “multiple gunshot wounds.” A small dog was also fatally shot.

According to a search warrant affidavit, a witness said Legg and Rogers were members of a club called “7 Deadly Sins,” which also included at least three of the homicide victims.

Rogers and Legg “became upset, particularly Legg, over the perceived disobedience towards the club and the theft of several of his firearms a few hours before the homicides,” according to the affidavit. “The witness stated that Rogers and Legg stated something to the effect of, ‘We’re going in there by force and wipe the slate clean.’ The witness stated that Rogers and Legg continued to state that the ‘club’ would be dismantled by the end of the night.”

Shortly after the shootings, according to the affidavit, the witness received a text from Rogers that said, “Everything has been dealt with.”