Through a press conference on Friday afternoon, the Jasper Police Department announced an arrest has been made in connection to a homicide earlier in the month.
Jamorron Clay, 22, of Jasper, has been arrested and charged with intentional murder related to the July 4 homicide of Brandon Marquez Porter, 24, also of Jasper. Porter’s body was located on July 9 in the woods near the 1100 block of Highway 78W, behind the Taco Loco restaurant.
Jasper Police Chief J.C. Poe said investigators worked “tirelessly” to discover who committed the murder and what was the cause of death. Poe said the homicide was the result of a gunshot and police have recovered the murder weapon.
Poe thanked the community for its help in the investigation.
“We talked to dozens of people, some who were witnesses and some who didn’t see anything,” Poe said. “It was the community’s help that led us to Clay as a person of interest.”
District Attorney Bill Adair contributed success in the investigation to community members who came forward.
“These cases do not get solved without the community coming forward. In the city of Jasper, we have have so many people who are willing to come forward and help their neighbors, and that’s a great thing about this community,” Adair said. “In this case, we had many community members who brought forth information. Some were scared, but they still came forward, and I want to commend those people.”
Poe said Clay is currently being held in the Jasper City Jail as the investigation is ongoing. He added Clay will be ultimately be transferred to the Walker County Jail, but will face a bond hearing by Monday.
Jasper Mayor David O’Mary also spoke at the press conference, thanking all law enforcement involved in the case.
“I want to commend the collaborative effort between the district attorney’s office and the Jasper Police Department,” O’Mary said. “Having a harmonious relationship with other law enforcement agencies in the community makes our city a safer place to live.”
The full press conference can be viewed on The Community Journal Facebook page.
