Slain Birmingham firefighter Jordan Melton was targeted and killed because of his role as a witness in a murder trial, according to newly released court records.

Birmingham police on Thursday announced the arrest of Eddie Jerry Jones, 47, on a charge of capital murder of a first responder in Melton’s death.

Damien McDaniel, charged with killing 14 people and wounding 30 others in just a span of months, was charged last month in Melton’s ambush killing.

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Charging documents against Jones, who was previously convicted of murder in a 1999 homicide, state Jones provided specific information to McDaniel regarding Melton’s identification and location which led to his death.

The criminal complaint says Melton was killed because he was subpoenaed to testify against Larry Denzel Rollins in a murder trial.

The “crime stemmed from, was caused by, or was related to the capacity or role of Jordan Ellis Melton as said witness,’’ the warrant states.

Rollins has not been charged with any crime in connection to Melton’s death.

He is, however, one of six people – including McDaniel – charged with capital murder in the 2024 shooting death of Jamarcus McIntrye, who was killed during a theft of his backpack the night after the Hush mass shooting, in which McDaniel is also charged.

Text messanges between the defendants in the McIntyre case show they waited up to two hours to ambush McIntyre and communicated during that time via text messages.

Melton, 29, died July 26, 2023, at UAB Hospital, five days after he and firefighter Jamal Jones were shot in the chest and legs at Station 9.

They had just gone on duty on duty at the station, at 1228 27th St. North, when a shooter entered the fire station through the bay door, which typically remains open to be accessible to residents who need assistance.

Jones was critically injured and later promoted to the rank of sergeant. He has not yet been able to return to work.

After the shooting, Station 9 remained closed until December 2023.

Prior to his death, Melton was a witness to the 2021 slaying of 27-year-old Eric Tyler Sledge Jr., a Hoover father.

Melton was not yet a firefighters when Sledge was killed.

The fatal shooting happened about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, May 2, 2021, in the 1100 block of 20th Street South.

Sledge was found unresponsive in the middle of the roadway. He was taken to UAB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police at the time said the deadly shooting stemmed from an altercation inside an establishment that then spilled over to outside.

Rollins was charged in Sledge’s slaying. The case went to trial in 2024, and Rollins was acquitted.

Jones’ connection to Rollins has not yet been made clear, but he is closely connected to the McDaniel family.

Rollins attorneys previously said he has been “demonized” in the media.

Court records show Jones was charged with capital murder in 1999.

Details of that case were not immediately available through court records.

He pleaded guilty in 2002 to a reduced charge of murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Jones was paroled for good behavior in April 2017, records state.