Center Point Man Charged In Sunday Morning Murders

BIRMINGHAM, AL - An ex-convict released from prison last year has been charged with two random murders that occurred Sunday morning. Michael Damon Daniels, 25, is charged with capital murder in the shooting deaths of 48-year-old Octavia Dortch and 28-year-old Gregory Snodgress.

A report by Alabama Media Group said the murders happened less than two hours apart for no apparent reason. The victims did not know each other, and police say there is no indication Daniels knew either of them. Both killings are believed to have been captured on surveillance video.

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Dortch was killed about 7 a.m. Sunday outside Arlington Rehabilitation Center and HealthCare Center on Tuscaloosa Avenue. Birmingham police Officer Rod Mauldin said officers responded about 7 a.m. to 1000 block of Tuscaloosa Avenue after Shot Spotter, the city’s gunfire detection system, indicated shots fired in that area

While they were in the area, police received a call about a person down in the same location. They found Octavia Dortch unresponsive in her vehicle. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

Less than two hours after Dortch was shot, West Precinct officers responded just after 8:30 a.m. to the BP service station on Montevallo Road S.W. on a report of gunfire. Once on the scene, they found Snodgress unresponsive in his vehicle.

Late Sunday afternoon, about 5:30 p.m., Birmingham police spotted Daniels' car in the 6800 block of First Avenue North. When officers tried to pull him over, he refused to stop, and a chase was initiated. The pursuit traveled from First Avenue North to Interstate 59 and then into north Birmingham, said Sgt. Brad Herndon. At that point, Daniels blew a couple tires as he drove along railroad tracks in the 2800 block of F.L. Shuttlesworth Drive.

Daniels was taken to police headquarters where he underwent questioning. He was then booked into the Birmingham City Jail where he was placed on a 48-hour hold pending the ongoing investigation.

Homicide detectives on Tuesday afternoon obtained the capital murder warrants against Daniels. He is also charged with kidnapping, robbery, attempted murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle in connection with the slayings. Daniels also is charged with burglary, sex abuse and three counts of kidnapping in connection with unrelated cases. Birmingham police have not released details of those crimes or when they happened.