Defense Claims Abuse Allegations Motivated Murder

In Morgan County Circuit Court on May 2, Jaclyn Elaine Skuce's defense team initiated their case presentation. They called witnesses to testify about Skuce's previous claims of sexual abuse concerning her oldest daughter, allegedly perpetrated by the father of her youngest child. This individual is also the father of the youngest child, whom prosecutors assert Skuce hired a hitman to kill in 2020 amid a custody battle.

During the trial, a sergeant with campus police, Leslie Ramsey, testified about two reports Skuce filed against the father in 2015. One involved alleged domestic violence harassment, and the other a felony sexual abuse of a child under 12. Ramsey confirmed Skuce communicated these allegations to her and that an indictment was returned against the father, though the district attorney's office ultimately did not pursue it.

The defense also presented testimony from the victim's sister, Dana Sheppard, who testified in a 2017 deposition that she believed Skuce was a good mother. Excerpts from Dana Sheppard's deposition indicated she described her brother as "angry" and "paranoid," and recounted an alleged incident where he held a knife to Skuce's pregnant belly. The judge instructed the jury to consider how hearing this deposition might have affected Skuce's state of mind, potentially influencing the prosecution's ability to prove intent.

Prosecutors allege Skuce paid Logan McKinley Delp $30,000 via Facebook to kill Anthony Larry Sheppard, who was shot in his Hartselle home on July 24, 2020. Lajuhn Keith Smart Jr., the alleged getaway driver who pleaded guilty to felony murder, testified that Delp shot Sheppard. Court proceedings were scheduled to resume on May 5.