Selma murder suspect arrested in Birmingham
Published 1:37 pm Thursday, April 23, 2015
A 27-year-old Selma man that was wanted for capital murder and other felony charges was arrested Tuesday in Birmingham by U.S. Marshals.
Justin Lanyette Simpson was wanted on two counts of capital murder from December 2013, two counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle and attempted murder from March 2013, and first-degree robbery and attempting to elude law enforcement, both from December 2014.
Simpson was wanted most recently for allegedly robbing a Subway restaurant on U.S. Highway 80 in Selma in December 2014.
According to Lt. Muhannad with the Selma Police Department, after robbing the restaurant, Simpson and another suspect led officers on a high speed chase that ended on the 400 block of Martin Luther King Street, where the suspects crashed. Simpson and the driver fled the scene and were not taken into custody.
Officers were able to recover two SKS assault rifles and a Tech-9 semi-automatic handgun from the car. Simpson could also be connected to the robbery of a Dollar General, other local businesses and residences.
According to Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson, Simpson was indicted by a Grand Jury last week on two capital murder charges for the death of 77-year-old Willie “Dusty” Berry.
According to Jackson, Simpson and his accomplice, Lester Jones Jr., allegedly robbed Berry as he returned to his home at Highland View condominiums on the night of Dec. 10, 2013.
During the robbery, Berry, who was shot first, was able to fire back, shooting Jones in the head. As Berry was trying to seek help from a neighbor, Simpson shot him twice and fled the scene. Berry and Jones later died from the gunshot wounds at a Montgomery hospital.
The attempted murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle charges are from a March 29, 2013 shooting on the 600 block of Broad Street.
Simpson allegedly fired multiple shots into an occupied vehicle. At least two of those shots struck another vehicle that was passing by with two passengers.
At the time of the shooting, Simpson was also under investigation for allegedly using counterfeit money at a business on the 600 block of Highland Avenue.
Simpson is currently being held in the Dallas County Jail without bond.