A 20-year-old U.S. Army veteran will remain behind bars in the killing of a man found shot and left for dead on a Birmingham road, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Caleb Goodgame is charged with capital murder in the March 15 death of 27-year-old LeMijamin Watters.

Officers were dispatched at 7 p.m. that Saturday to a report of a person down at the intersection of Avenue E and 16th Street in Ensley.

Police arrived to find Watters unresponsive in the roadway. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced him dead on the scene at 7:12 p.m.

An autopsy later determined Watters had been shot.

Birmingham homicide detectives and South Precinct officers took Goodgame into custody March 26 near Interstate 65 and Lakeshore Parkway.

A preliminary hearing in the case was held last week, at which time Jefferson County District Judge William Bell ruled there was enough evidence to send the case to a grand jury for indictment consideration.

Testimony in that hearing showed the suspect and the victim had met for Goodgame to buy pills from Watters.

Instead, a detective previously testified, Goodgame shot Watters, pushed him out of the vehicle and left him for dead.

Goodgame’s attorney, Jaimee Hunter, claims the fatal shooting was self-defense and asked that bond be set for her client. A hearing on the matter was held Wednesday.

“He has no criminal history. He’s never been in trouble before, not so much as a speeding ticket,” Hunter told the judge.

According to Hunter, Goodgame was arrested and charged based upon “obscure” surveillance footage from several blocks away.

“There was no witnesses, no blood in the vehicle,” Hunter said.

Hunter said Goodgame is a life-long resident of Birmingham, raised in a single-parent home, attended Clay-Chalkville High School, and graduated from Minor High School.

After graduation, Hunter said, Goodgame served in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Jackson, until he was medically discharged.

At the time of his arrest, he was employed as a Verizon salesman and is able to return to that job should he be granted bond.

“We argue that Mr. Goodgame is not a risk to society,” Hunter said.

Hunter called Goodgame’s best friend as a character witness for Goodgame.

That friend described Goodgame as a caring person.

“It’s actually crazy to think about how caring of a person he is,” the friend testified.

Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Aaron Brown asked the character witness if he was aware of the facts of the case, and the witness said he was not.

“Are you aware the victim got in the defendant’s car? Are you aware that while in the car the defendant shot the victim? Are you aware that he then pushed him out of the car? Are you aware that he then drove off?” Brown said.

“Are you aware he left him for dead? Are you aware that he then texted his girlfriend to bring him towels? Are you aware that he then cleaned up his car? Are you aware that he then eluded law enforcement? Are you aware that he then lied to law enforcement, said he wasn’t there?”

The witness said he was not aware of those details.

Under questioning from Hunter, the witness said he’s spoken with Goodgame and said he maintains his innocence.

Brown said the evidence against Goodgame is strong and prosecutors oppose bond.

Evidence from Goodgame’s phone location and text messages, as well as surveillance footage and license plate readers, tie him to the scene and shows that he was going to buy pills from the victim.

“Every step of the way he has fought law enforcement,” Brown said.

“He had the ability to call law enforcement after the incident, he did not do that. He had the chance to come clean with the detectives, and he did not do that.”

“If he’s let out,” Brown said, “I do not think he’ll show up for court.”

Bell denied Goodgame bond.

“Mr. Goodgame is a danger in my eyes,” the judge said, “especially if he’s charged with capital murder.”