Tuscaloosa Man Charged With Rape, Incest In Case From 20 Years Ago

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A Tuscaloosa man has been indicted for rape, sodomy and incest in connection with crimes that occurred in Hale County roughly two decades ago.

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Attorney General Steve Marshall announced on Friday that Michael Eugene Hearing, 54, of Tuscaloosa, was arrested Thursday after being indicted on April 26 by a Hale County grand jury on one count of first degree rape, one count of first degree sodomy, and one count of incest.

Hearing was eventually released from the Hail County Jail after his bond was set at $100,000.

Marshall's office said the crimes occurred approximately 20 years ago in Hale County and were recently investigated by the Attorney General’s Office Criminal Investigations Division.

If convicted of first degree rape or sodomy, which are both Class A felonies, Hearing could face a maximum penalty of 10 to 99 years, or fife in prison, and a maximum fine of $60,000 for each of the two counts.

If Hearing is convicted of incest, which is a Class C felony, he could face a maximum penalty of one year and one day to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $15,000.

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