Walker County, AL – Alabama’s Attorney General Steve Marshall said that Joshua Franklin Hill, 35, and Luke Williams, Jr., 34, both from Walker County, have been charged with the murder of Eric Cates in 2015. After a long investigation into the horror case that shocked the area almost ten years ago, the two men have been charged with Capital Murder.
On March 21, 2015, Eric Cates and his dog Gypsy were found dead in the Empire neighborhood. When the bodies were found inside a small truck, they were badly burned, as was the inside of the truck. The sad finding led local and state authorities to do a full investigation.
Before, in October of last year, Hill and Cyrena Cheyenne Styles, also from Walker County and 28 years old, were both charged with murder. The new charges against Hill are more serious, and Williams is now also charged with the crimes. The new warrants were served on May 15, 2024.
The Special Prosecution Division and Criminal Trials Division of the Attorney General gave the evidence that led to these charges to a grand jury in Walker County. The Sumiton Police Department and former Walker County Sheriff’s Office officers worked together on this project. The investigation also got a lot of help from Bill Adair, the district attorney for Walker County, and the sheriff’s office.
Attorney General Marshall praised the hard work and cooperation of all the law enforcement departments that were involved in this long and complicated case. “Getting justice for Eric Cates and his family has been a top priority,” he said. “These indictments are a big step in the right direction.”
Both Hill and Williams could get the death sentence or life in prison without the chance of parole if they are found guilty of capital murder.
Because the investigation is still going on, no more information about the case or the claimed crimes of the defendants has been made public yet. The office of the Attorney General says that until they are found guilty in court, both defendants are thought to be innocent.
People in the community are still paying close attention to the court case, hoping that Eric Cates and his loyal dog Gypsy will finally get justice.
