A Russellville High School junior and star athlete remained in custody in Lauderdale County Thursday morning awaiting a bond hearing on charges of felony murder and robbery, the Franklin Free Press has learned.
Cameron 'Cam' Leonard Phinizee, 17, was taken into custody after Florence Police, assisted by the Russellville Police Department, executed a search warrant at a home on Timberline Drive in Russellville Wednesday night.
According to a family member, police did not seize any property while executing the search warrant, other than a cell phone. Phinizee was taken into custody, transported to the Russellville Police Station, and later booked into the Florence City Jail to await a bond hearing Thursday afternoon.
In January, Phinizee was honored as the ASWA Class 5A Back of the Year after a stellar football season that saw the junior rush for 2,331 yards and 28 touchdowns on 231 carries. Phinizee is Russellville's all-time rusher with 4,720 yards and 68 touchdowns in his three seasons at RHS.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, a Colbert Heights High School eighth grader was shot and killed in an incident that occurred at Southern Oaks Apartments in Florence Wednesday evening.
Phinizee, according to the source, is not accused of shooting the 14-year-old student. The individual who allegedly shot the student turned himself into authorities Thursday, according to information from a family member. Police have not released that individual's name as of Thursday afternoon or indicated whether he faces any criminal charges.
Phinizee and the Colbert Heights student traveled from Russellville to Florence Wednesday night, allegedly to meet an individual who was selling iPods, according to a law enforcement source. From there, there are conflicting reports about whether the Colbert Heights student and/or Phinizee had any criminal intent once they met the individual at the apartment complex.
According to one source, there was an attempt to rob the individual selling the iPods and that resulted in the student being shot in the parking lot of the complex.
There are conflicting reports from sources whether Phinizee dropped off the student, left and returned later to pick him up, or whether he may have accompanied the student to meet the individual at the apartment complex.
While a 17-year-old is usually prosecuted in juvenile court, Alabama law mandates that any defendant 16 or older charged with murder or any offense involving use of a deadly weapon be arrested and tried as an adult.
According to a family member, Phinizee's bond hearing was set for 1 p.m., Thursday afternoon. A Lauderdale County judge set Phinizee’s bond at $100,000.
Although Phinizee is not accused of shooting the student, Alabama Code 13A-4-3 provides that a person may be convicted of conspiracy to commit murder if his conduct involves an agreement with one or more persons to commit murder or if he commits an overt act toward the commission of murder.
As with any defendant charged with a criminal offense, Phinizee remains innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
No media release or statement has been made by Florence Police Department officials regarding the incident, other than a social media post Wednesday evening encouraging citizens to stay away from Southern Oaks Apartments as police were investigating a fatal shooting.
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