Gordon man faces murder charge in alcohol-related crash

A Gordon man faces murder and felony assault charges after an Alabama state trooper recently arrested him in connection with an alcohol-related crash in the Pansey community of Houston County.

Trooper K. Cook, who serves as a homicide investigator for the Alabama Highway Patrol, said Cory James Dunn was charged with killing John Dillion Childress and assaulting his stepson, Michael Scott Peacock. Cook said Dunn was the driver in a single-vehicle crash on Dec. 30, 2008, at the intersection of Strong Road and Houston County Road 75.

“He admitted to the drinking,” Cook said. “The investigation is still ongoing, and we feel like we had enough to obtain a warrant for murder and assault first.”

Cook called excess speed and alcohol contributing factors the fatal crash. Cook said the posted speed limit on County Road 75 is 45 mph, and is 35 mph at the intersection.

Trooper Tony Ellis arrested Dunn, 42, Friday afternoon at his County Road 75 home and charged him with murder and felony first-degree assault. Dunn was later released from the Houston County Jail after he posted a $105,000 bond.

Childress, 21, and Peacock, 21, were both passengers in the vehicle driven by Dunn. Cook said Peacock broke both his legs during the crash along with other injuries. He said Dunn was also injured but only spent a couple of days in the hospital.

Cook said the crash happened after the three men decided to test drive the truck involved in the crash after they’d spent time working on it at Dunn’s home. Cook said they were on their way back to Dunn’s home when the crash happened.