For Immediate Release:
September 5, 2025
For press inquiries only, contact:
Amanda Priest (334) 322-5694
William Califf (334) 604-3230
(Montgomery, Ala) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction of Ora L. Stakely, 64, of Tuskegee, for murder. Stakely was convicted in the Macon County Circuit Court on April 24, 2024.
The evidence at trial showed that in April 2022, Stakely shot and killed her boyfriend, Demarius Fergerson, at her house in Tuskegee. At the scene, Stakely contended that two people had broken into her house and shot her Fergerson to death. Forensic and crime scene evidence contradicted Stakely’s claims. Stakely took the stand and admitted to shooting the victim but claimed that it was self-defense. The jury disagreed and found her guilty of murder.
Macon County District Attorney Mike Segrest’s office successfully prosecuted this case and obtained a guilty verdict. Stakely was sentenced to life imprisonment. Stakely sought to have her conviction reversed on appeal.
The Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Division handled the case during the appeals process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm Stakely’s conviction. The Court did so in a decision issued Friday, August 15, 2025.
Attorney General Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General Anne Adams Hill for her successful work on this case, and thanked District Attorney Mike Segrest and his staff, for their valuable assistance in defending this murder conviction.
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