Chelsea, Alabama

From the Birmingham News of February 28, 2005

Man frees self after being tied up to kill man holding his wife

A Shelby County man freed himself after being tied up and then fatally shot an armed, masked intruder inside his Chelsea home during a home invasion early Sunday morning, Shelby County authorities said.

Authorities refused to release the name of the homeowner who killed 25-year-old William Clint O'Shields of Chelsea. O'Shields held the man's wife at gunpoint while gathering items from the house, officials said.

Sheriff Chris Curry said O'Shields, who had a female accomplice sitting outside in a car, broke into the couple's home off Hackberry Way about 2 a.m. The woman was taken into custody after deputies stopped a car leaving the scene, he said at a news conference at the sheriff's north substation on Alabama 119.

The woman's identity was being withheld pending charges being filed. Curry said she likely would be charged today.

Shelby County District Attorney Robby Owens said the woman could be charged with burglary, robbery or murder. He also said a toxicology report probably will show O'Shields had a high level of drugs in his body.

Curry said O'Shields and the woman were involved in a separate home invasion in Westover early Saturday in which a man in his 80s was tied up and several guns were taken from his residence.

The sheriff said a pistol O'Shields used in the Hackberry Way home invasion likely was taken in the earlier home invasion.
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Curry said shots were fired by the homeowner. The homeowner was not injured.

Owens said the homeowner would not face any charges.

"If you're in your house, your own home, you're going to have a lot of freedom to protect yourself, especially your wife, your family and property," Owens said.