Ethan Christopher Hill

On the evening of Valentine's Day, February 14, 2024, the life of Ethan Christopher Hill was cut short in Elba, Alabama. The 24-year-old Black man was found by first responders on the 1400 block of Jones Street suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 11:05 p.m. His body was later sent to the Montgomery Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy.

Following the shooting, law enforcement initiated a search for three individuals connected to the incident. The search concluded the next day when authorities confirmed that all three suspects had been captured. The individuals taken into custody were identified as 31-year-old Freddie Junior Mcgee Jr. of Enterprise, 52-year-old Alena Michelle McGhee of Elba, and a 17-year-old female juvenile.

Both adult suspects, McGee Jr. and McGhee, were subsequently charged with murder in connection with Ethan Hill's death. Due to the third suspect's age, her name and other specific information were not publicly released by officials.

On February 22, 2024, Freddie McGee Jr. and Lena Michelle McGhee appeared in Coffee County District Court for pre-trial detention hearings. Under Alabama's Aniah's Law, which allows judges to deny bond for violent offenses, District Attorney James Tarbox argued that both suspects posed a risk to public safety and should be held without bond pending their trials.

The following day, District Judge Josh Wilson issued his orders, denying bond for both McGee and McGhee. The two will continue to be held at the Coffee County Jail without the right to pre-trial release as their cases proceed. As of February 2024, the case was moving through the court system.