Suspect in 4 killings in 2 Alabama counties in 1 night faces possible death penalty
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty for a man suspected of killing four people in two Alabama counties.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Joe Roberts on Thursday filed the state’s notice of intent to seek the death penalty against 29-year-old Daniel “Parker” Watson.
Watson is charged with capital murder in the March 14 shooting deaths of Tiffany Michele Hernandez and Jason Joseph Brown, both 40, in Birmingham. A Jefferson County grand jury indicted him in June.
He is also charged in St. Clair County with capital murder in the shooting death of 37-year-old wife and mother Amber Manning and with murder in the fatal shooting of 62-year-old Timothy Davidson.
The St. Clair County cases are still awaiting grand jury action.
Watson will be arraigned on the Birmingham cases in August.
Hernandez and Brown were found shot to death that Tuesday at a home in South East Lake. They are believed to be the first pair of slayings committed by Watson, police said.
Authorities have said Watson approached a Leeds police officer at about 5 a.m. that day and told him that he had shot two people in Birmingham, and two people in St. Clair County.
St. Clair County Sheriff Billy Murray said at about 12:01 a.m., deputies responded to a disturbance call at 1 Ivy Drive Ragland.
Tim Davidson and Amber Manning were fatally shot at a St. Clair County residence. (Special to AL.com)
When they arrived, the deputies found Manning dead in the driveway.
Davidson was inside the residence and still alive. He was flown by lifesaver to UAB hospital and later pronounced dead.
About 6 a.m., Birmingham police received information from the Leeds Police Department that Watson had confessed to shooting two people in Birmingham.
Watson was able to provide general information about a house in South East Lake where two of the killings took place.
Officers made entry and found an adult male and found Hernandez and Brown dead.
A motive has not yet been released but Watson knew at least some of the victims. He shares the same last name as the owners and/or residents of the South East Lake home, property records show, but any relationship between Watson and any of the victims has not yet been disclosed.