Four Birmingham Residents Charged In Double Murder

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on Thursday announced the arrests of four Birmingham residents in connection with the June slayings of Cortez Deez and Luman Williams, both of Evergeen. Marshall said three men and a woman are now charged with crimes related to the burglary, robbery, kidnappings and murders of Dees and Williams.

The suspects charged are: Courtney Andrews, 31; Nathaniel Anthony Fortune, 29; Kaia Fortune, 18; and Johnathan Leonard Willis, 35, according to Alabama Media Group. The suspects, investigators said, robbed the two victims of their property, then forced Dees to direct them to his home while they were driving his car. While at Dees’ home in Butler County, they went inside and stole a large amount of cash and drugs.

Dees and Williams were then taken to a dirt road and shot multiple times, according to court documents. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

Andrews was arrested Sept. 21 for making a false statement to an agent of the Attorney General’s Office; Nathaniel Fortune was arrested Sept. 27 on four counts of capital murder and one count of tampering with physical evidence; Willis was arrested Oct. 9 and charged with four counts of capital murder and one count of tampering with physical evidence; and Kaia Fortune also is charged with four counts of capital murder and one count of tampering with evidence.

The cases will be prosecuted by the attorney general’s Criminal Trials Division. The Attorney General thanked local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, especially Butler County Sheriff Kenny Harden and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office for their contributions to this investigation, and District Attorney Charlotte Tesmer’s office.

Photos via Butler County Jail and Jefferson County Jail