Man charged with murdering girlfriend's estranged husband

A man in town for his daughter's birthday was shot and killed in a domestic dispute on Saturday. Investigators say the victim was shot by the man who had been seeing his wife after he had moved out.

The victim in the shooting, Jeffrey Grant, had moved out of town and was estranged from his wife but wanted to stay in his family's life. When he returned to Cottondale for his daughter's birthday, officials say Grant was fatally shot. William Mitchell, 27, is charged with killing Grant.

Mitchell's mother, Debra Sullivan, says she doesn't believe her son came to the home with the intention of killing Grant.

"He's just very jealous. I'm sure he said and did a lot of things," Sullivan said.

"He said when he picked up the gun, he was looking for a sack to his clothes in because he was going to get all his stuff and leave and Jeff jumped on him," Sullivan added.

Witnesses claim Mitchell shot Grant in the chest and fled the scene. Tuscaloosa officials say Grant was calling for help when he was shot.

"The victim was actually on the phone with the sheriff's office when the crime occurred," Captain Loyd Baker with the Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit said.

"You can hear the suspect breaking into the home. The victim yells the suspect is in his house. He leaves the phone and you hear a gunshot," Baker said.

Mitchell called authorities and turned himself in. He's being held in jail on murder and assault charges.

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