From the Office of DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden:
FORT PAYNE, Ala. –
On Friday, December 6, 2024, the DeKalb County 911 center received an emergency call from a male individual residing in Mentone, who reported a need for law enforcement at his residence due to multiple fatalities. While dispatchers coordinated the response, they maintained communication with the caller. The caller disclosed that he had shot his wife and their dogs, and then expressed intentions to take his own life. The dispatchers continued to engage him in conversation until the call was disconnected. Upon arrival, deputies discovered the bodies of a male, a female, and two dogs, all with apparent gunshot wounds. Investigators commenced processing the scene and reached out to the JSU Center for Applied Forensics for support in evidence collection. The findings indicated that the male had taken the life of the female before ending his own. The DeKalb County Coroner’s Office and the 9th Judicial District Attorneys’ Office were subsequently notified.
DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said of the incident: “I would like to extend my gratitude to the Mentone Police Department, Valley Head Police Department, Ider Police Department, Valley Head Fire Department, and the North Lookout Mountain Fire Protection District for their assistance. Please keep all families involved in your thoughts and prayers for the weeks and months to come.”
“God Bless!” Concluded Sheriff Welden.
