The suspect in the killing of Jefferson County husband and father Nathan Gemeinhart has been arraigned, six months after he initially refused to leave his jail cell for the hearing.

Youit Jones, 36, is charged with capital murder and second-degree arson in the shooting of 42-year-old Nathan Gemeinhart.

Jones was set to be arraigned Feb. 6 before Circuit Judge Alaric May, but Jones refused to leave his cell at the Jefferson County Jail and also refused any documents needed to proceed.

That arraignment took place Thursday.

Jones is being prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Joe Roberts and Assistant District Attorney Jessica Hebson. He is represented by attorneys Glennon Threatt and Maston Evans.

A trial date has not yet been set, pending mental competency evaluation of Jones. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Authorities have not released a motive in Gemeinhart’s slaying, but the charge is capital because it involved kidnapping and arson.

Police have said Jones and Gemeinhart did not know each other.

The homicide investigation began Aug. 9 when Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service responded at 2:45 a.m. to the 1300 block of Eufaula Avenue on a report of a house fire.

Firefighters arrived on the scene to find the abandoned house in flames.

Once they extinguished the blaze, they found a badly burned body inside. Police said evidence showed that the person was a victim of homicide.

Less than one block away, authorities found Gemeinhart’s 2007 Toyota Corolla parked in front of a house on Pike Road.

Gemeinhart had left his southern Jefferson County home about 7:45 a.m. Monday, Aug. 8, and was going to check on some properties over on the west side of the county. He worked in property management.

He was supposed to meet his wife at 11:30 a.m. for his twin daughters’ Meet the Teacher school event, but never showed up.

Friends and family immediately launched a search for Gemeinhart, knowing it was unlike him to be out of touch with them, and to miss the school event for his kindergartners, which were the oldest of his four children.

Family reported that Gemeinhart’s had been spotted on surveillance cameras at 8:40 a.m. that Monday on Aaron Aranov Drive in Fairfield.

There was phone data at 8:49 a.m. and then nothing after that time.