A Sunday welfare check in the Coats Bend neighborhood north of Gadsden led deputies to a double homicide. On September 7, 2025, Etowah County Sheriff’s Office deputies found 71-year-old James Timothy Thornton and 57-year-old Kelley Davis Thornton dead inside their home in the 6000 block of Old Highway 411; both had been fatally shot.

Investigators from the Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville State University Center for Applied Forensics, and the Etowah County District Attorney’s Office processed the scene. Authorities said they believed there was no immediate threat to the community and described the incident as likely isolated. No suspects or arrests have been publicly identified and officials have released few details while the investigation continues.

Neighbors described the Thorntons as good people and said the violence was shocking in their quiet community. If anyone has information about what happened on September 7, 2025, please contact the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office.