Montgomery, Alabama

From the Montgomery Advertiser of December 27, 2005

Alleged home invader killed

A 20-year-old Montgomery man who allegedly was involved in an aborted home invasion on Friday was found dead in a backyard Monday afternoon, the victim of a gunshot wound.

Barrien McLemore, 7, found the body of Courtney Courtland of 2835 Boys Club Road lying in the backyard of a house about 20 yards from his own home.

"I was going to get my cousin Mike's ball," Barrien said. "I could tell it was a person. I thought he was laying down there asleep. I wasn't scared. I got my jug out of my bike and I just kept riding my bike."

Barrien went home and told his aunt, Kymeasha McLemore, and other adults.

"We thought he was lying," McLemore said. "We had to go see it for ourselves, and that's when we saw someone lying back there dead, so we called 911."

Malcolm Eckols of 954 National St., who lives above the McLemores, said he was shot in the shoulder when Courtland kicked in his door.

Eckols, 47, said he was defending his home when he fired the shot that fatally wounded Courtland.

"I didn't know I (shot) him until today," said Eckols. "I felt it (the gunshot), then I shot him. He kicked my door in."

Lt. William Perkins, a spokesman for the Montgomery Police Department, said no charges were pending against Eckols in the case. He said Courtland's death was being treated as a "death investigation."