A Decatur man on trial for the 2017 killing of his wife walked out of the first day of his murder trial on Monday.
Andreas Shackleford, 45, was at the Morgan County Courthouse for the start of the trial, according to court documents.
But at 1:45 p.m., when the jury was ready following a recess, he was not there. A person who knew him said he was “gone,” according to a document.
Shackleford’s bond has since been forfeited and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Minnie Shackelford, 44, was found dead on the bathroom floor of the couple’s home March 9, 2017, when police responded to a 911 call around 2:30 a.m. Authorities at the time said a male family member told a dispatcher he came home and found the victim unresponsive. She was found beaten and strangled.
An autopsy at the Alabama Department of Forensics identified the cause of death as strangulation and severe head trauma.