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BIBB COUNTY, ALABAMA
MARCH 4, 2022
A Bibb County jury in the court of Circuit Judge Marvin Wiggins returned a not guilty verdict on Friday, March 4, 2022 after the week long trial of Travis Jermaine Holt.
Holt was indicted by a Bibb County Grand Jury in July 2018 and charged with the intent to cause the death of Kelvin Jackson by shooting him with a firearm, returning a true bill and charging Holt with Murder under Section 13A-6-2 of the Code of Alabama.
The Centreville Press originally reported on this CASE in 2017 following the incident and the arrest of Travis Holt.
The now 39 year old Holt, was arrested on August 17, 2017 following an altercation between he and Jackson that led to the shooting. Holt’s family is well known in North Bibb County and runs Promise Land BBQ. Testimony elicited at the 4 day trial revealed that Holt and the victim knew each other and there had been numerous hostile encounters between the two men prior to the day of the shooting.
The following is a thumbnail summary of the Defendant’s CASE derived from sources who attended the trial:
Kelvin Jackson believed that Holt had information about his Spouse and had accused Holt of withholding information about his Spouse over a domestic matter. Jackson had a criminal record, a history of violent behavior, and had previously been convicted of the armed robbery of Reach’s Service Station in West Blocton. On the day of the incident Jackson came to Holt’s residence, argued with Holt and got into a physical altercation with him. Holt had what turned out to be justifiable reasons to fear for his life.
After exchanging blows with Jackson, Holt pulled a concealed legal firearm and escorted Jackson to his vehicle he left with the engine still running, and demanded that he leave his property. Testimony at trial indicated that Jackson then reached into his vehicle and said to Holt that he was not the only one that had a gun. At that point, Holt feared and believed that he was in imminent danger and fired his weapon, killing Jackson. He then placed a 911 call and summoned police. Jackson was deceased by the time police arrived 3 minutes later.
The all white jury heard four days of testimony. After closing arguments a not-guilty verdict based on self defense was returned after approximately two hours of deliberation.
The State’s prosecution was handled by Deputy District Attorney Bryan Jones and District Attorney Michael Jackson of the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Anthony Johnson of Centreville was the attorney for the Defendant Travis Holt.
During the trial week there were a lot of observers of court proceedings in town for the trial and court house security was tight.
Bibb County Sheriff Chief Deputy Kenneth Weems said that it is normal procedure to have good security during a murder trial because tensions are always high with families and observers. Weems said there were no unusual incidents during this trial. Judge Wiggins managed his court room without incident and after the verdict was delivered the observers and family members filed out and left the courthouse without incident.
The following is quoted from the law on self-defense in Alabama:
In Alabama a defendant does not have a duty to retreat and has the right to stand his/her ground so long as he/she is justified in using deadly physical force and is not engaged in an illegal activity and is in a place where he/she has a right to be located.
A person may use deadly physical force and is legally presumed to be justified in
using deadly physical force in self-defense or in the defense of another person if the person reasonably believes that another person is using or about to use unlawful deadly physical force.
Reference: Code of Alabama Section 13A-3-23
https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2017/08/man_charged_with_murder_in_bib.html
https://abc3340.com/news/local/west-blocton-police-investigating-shooting
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