Josh Towns, an 18-year-old Black man from Perry County, Alabama, was a welder who had attended both Hatch and Selma high schools. His life was cut short by violence in the summer of 2024.
On the night of Thursday, July 18, 2024, Towns was found inside a black Nissan Armada near the entrance of the Pine Glenn Estates. It was approximately 11:00 p.m. when he was discovered slumped over in the vehicle, having suffered fatal gunshot wounds.
The investigation moved quickly. The following afternoon, on Friday, July 19, authorities arrested a suspect in neighboring Dallas County. The individual taken into custody was Mikell Craig, an 18-year-old from Selma.
Craig was charged with capital murder in connection with the shooting death of Josh Towns.
According to court records filed on July 22, 2024, the charge stemmed from the accusation that Craig intentionally caused Towns' death by shooting him with a handgun while Towns was inside the occupied vehicle. Craig was subsequently held in custody without bond pending an Aniah's Law hearing.
In August 2025, Circuit Judge Pettaway denied a request to grant Mikell Craig youthful offender status, ordering that he be tried as an adult for the capital murder charge. As of that month, the case was expected to go to trial in early 2026.
