For Immediate Release:
February 5, 2026
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 Renaldo Darnell James, 45, of Citronelle, for murder. James was convicted in the Washington County Circuit Court on May 8, 2025.
The evidence at trial showed that Patrick Henderson, the victim, agreed to sell James a battery for his vehicle, but later got into an argument over the terms of the sale. James went and retrieved a pistol and then resumed his argument with the victim and his family. James shot and killed the victim in front of his family. James admitted to the shooting but claimed self-defense. That claim was rejected by the jury.
Washington County District Attorney Stephen Winters’s office successfully prosecuted this case and obtained a guilty verdict. James was sentenced to 65 years in prison for his murder conviction. James sought to have his 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 James’s conviction. The Court did so in a decision issued Friday, January 30, 2026.
Attorney General Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General Marc Starrett for his successful work on this case and thanks District Attorney Stephen Winters and his staff for their valuable assistance in defending the murder conviction.
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