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Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals upheld the conviction of Charles C. McCrory, 64, of Andalusia for murder.

McCrory was convicted in Covington County Circuit Court on Nov. 1, 1985, for the murder of his estranged wife, Julie Bonds.

The evidence at trial showed that on May 31, 1985, Julie McCrory’s body was discovered by her father-in-law lying just inside the front door of her residence. She had been brutally beaten and stabbed numerous times. McCrory claimed an alibi at the time of his estranged wife’s murder.  However, numerous witnesses observed McCrory’s vehicle at or near her residence at the time he claimed to be elsewhere. Moreover, McCrory had been having an affair and was dissatisfied with his marriage. McCrory also knew of his wife’s injuries which would not have been readily apparent to even those present at the crime scene.

McCrory presented new evidence that he claimed weakened the testimony of the state’s expert witness, including testimony related to tooth marks, a form of evidence that has come into question since 1985.

“This alleged new evidence was rejected by both the trial court and the Alabama court on December 9, 2022,” according to a statement.

In 1987, McCrory’s 1985 conviction was upheld by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, but McCrory produced new evidence that he claimed undercut the testimony of the state’s expert witness. This alleged newly discovered evidence was rejected by both the trial court and the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on Dec. 9.

“Charles McCrory had his day in court more than 30 years ago,” said Attorney General Steve Marshall.  “The recent evidence presented to the Court was neither newly discovered nor factual. Mr. McCrory will not escape justice for the murder of his wife.”

Covington County District Attorney Walt Merrell’s office successfully prosecuted this case and obtained a guilty verdict in 1985. During recent proceedings, Merrell’s office also successfully defended the conviction before the Covington County Circuit Court. Consequently, McCrory sought to have his conviction reversed on appeal.

The Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Division handled the case during the appeals process, arguing that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals should affirm the Covington County Circuit Court’s decision and reject McCrory’s challenge to his murder conviction. The Court did so in a decision issued on Dec. 9.

Attorney General Marshall thanked Assistant Attorney General Kristi O. Wilkerson for her work on this case. He also commended Covington County District Attorney Walt Merrell and his staff for their valuable assistance in defending the murder conviction.