Opp woman found guilty of murder in first trial related to 2020 killing of Micah Coon – The Andalusia Star-News

An OPP woman was found guilty this week for her involvement in the 2020 murder of Micah Spencer Coon of Andalusia.

According to the Covington County District Attorney's Office, a jury of eight men and four women found Brittany Erin Nicole Head, 25, of Opp, guilty of murdering Coon in November 2020. The jury also found Head guilty of first-degree burglary. District Judge Lex Short presided over the case and District Attorney Walt Merrell prosecuted. During a four-day trial, Assistant District Attorney Nikki Stephens and Erin Wilson, a longtime associate in the district attorney's office and a third-year law student conditionally admitted to the bar, also contributed to the team effort.

“It's been a rough week for our office,” Merrell said. “Chief Prosecutor Grace Jeter was in another courtroom with Judge Bowden seeking a conviction in a multi-day child porn case. Frankly, our office was as swamped as it could be, but these are some of the hardest working people I know and they worked overtime and did what was necessary to make sure justice was served. From making sure everything ran smoothly with witnesses in both courtrooms to organizing lunch and pep talks that kept us going, I'm proud of them and can't thank them enough.”

During Head's trial, Merrell presented testimony from employees of Froggy's Corner Store at the intersection of West Watson and Three Notch Streets in Andalusia, who testified that a physical altercation occurred in the parking lot between Micah, Brittany Head and her husband on the night of Micah's murder.

“According to Head, the fight began when Head's husband made derogatory references to Micah,” Merrell told the jury. “Every detail of the altercation was captured on video. Micah can be heard telling Head that he would not fight a woman, which frustrated Head as she continued to be aggressive toward him. And because Micah easily won the fight in the parking lot against Head's husband, Head's pride made her angry.”

The state also presented video surveillance footage from two nearby churches. The prosecutor said the footage provided a clear, chronological sequence of events, detailing every step of the defendants' journey to within a block of Micah's home.

Merrell then called Andalusia investigator Zak Wallace, who testified, “From the time of the fight to Micah's call to 911, less than 13 minutes had passed.” Wallace also testified that the department had not only collected a significant amount of video evidence, but also DNA from the crime scene that matched one of the co-defendants.

In Micah's dramatic 911 call, courtroom listeners heard Micah attempt to prevent the break-in by telling the defendants, “My kids are in here!” Elizabeth Sunday, the now-retired 911 operator who answered the call, testified that shortly after hearing Micah talk about his children, she heard what she thought was a gunshot and Micah's screams of pain.

Stephens called an eyewitness whose testimony placed Head and her accomplices at Micah's home where they committed the crime. Wilson next called Dr. Edward Reedy of the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, who testified that Micah was killed with a rifled projectile that entered his pelvis and fragmented throughout his abdomen. Reedy also testified that Micah's front teeth had been knocked out and that his eye was black, all due to blunt force trauma.

“Micah Coon was a father of three young children. He worked two jobs to provide for his family and had gone to the store on his way home from work,” Merrell said. “There, he was verbally assaulted by Head and her husband, which took his life just minutes later. Embarrassed by the altercation, Head and her husband recruited three other family members. The group of five then broke into Micah's home and killed him while his wife and children hid in the next room.”

Short has scheduled Head's sentencing for October 8, 2024.

“The sentence for her conviction is at least 20 years to life imprisonment. We will definitely ask for life imprisonment,” Merrell said.

Merrell pointed to the work of the APD that contributed to the conviction.

“The Andalusia Police Department worked exceptionally hard and did an outstanding job on this case,” he said. “I appreciate Zak's dedication and hard work on this case and how he saw it through to Head's conviction. I also appreciate the APD leadership and investigative team for their hard work during the investigation and throughout the court process. They did a great job building a great case.”

Merrell also thanked the State Bureau of Investigations and the United States Marshals Service for assisting in the investigation.

Other defendants involved in the case are also to be tried.

“One of Head's four co-defendants has already pleaded guilty. As for the others … their day will come,” Merrell said.