'Gonna Catch You Like Your Brother': Jail Admin Testifies About Luther Watkins' Conduct Ahead Of Sentencing

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Loyd Baker was the only witness to take the stand Thursday as testimony wrapped up and the jury began deliberating on the sentence for Luther Watkins, Jr., the man convicted last week of capital murder in the killing of Tuscaloosa Police Investigator Dornell Cousette.

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As Patch previously reported, the jury has been hearing testimony all week to determine whether it will sentence Watkins to death or give him life without the possibility of parole.

Baker, who is the warden of the Tuscaloosa County Jail, testified about Watkins' behavior behind bars over the last six years and provided a long list of incidents, including an illuminating interaction between Watkins and Detention Deputy Juan Tierney Hall — Cousette's brother.

Baker testified that in 2021 Watkins told Hall, who was a detention deputy at the time, that he was a "bitch-ass [n-word]" and "I'm gonna catch you like your brother."

Patch previously reported that Hall was shot and killed in 2023 during a dispute in Birmingham.

Baker's testimony also touched on numerous examples of Watkins acting out in the county jail, before saying he has never seen any improvement in his conduct over the duration of his incarceration.

He speculated that Watkins had anywhere between 55-60 violations during his time at the county jail.

"Those are just the times he was caught," Baker said.

Baker said he could provide eight listed times where Watkins was violent toward detention deputies, along with other instances where Watkins attempted to grab jail keys, threatened and assaulted detention deputies, and sexually harassed female employees and nurses.

Watkins was also cited for making sexual proposals to jail nurses both in the Tuscaloosa and Fayette county jails.

The sexual misconduct was prevalent in his behavior, with Baker pointing out that Watkins groped a female nurse in Fayette County after requesting a transfer from the Tuscaloosa County Jail.

Baker went on to provide numerical breakdowns of Watkins' offenses:

• Destroying property (7)
• Theft (3)
• Jail contraband (12)
• Bribing public servants (4)
• Disorderly conduct (13)

Baker elaborated on the bribery violations and said a detention deputy was actually charged for smuggling in drugs and a socket set to Watkins.

He then said the socket set would be used to loosen security screws that otherwise inmates would not be able to manipulate.

"Just constant manipulation, conniving," Baker said. "That's the general feel [about Watkins] on the staff."

The jury began deliberating on Watkins' sentence Thursday around 11:05 a.m. and Tuscaloosa Patch will have updates as they become available.

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