The third in a series of murder trials related to the fatal shooting of Brenton Gatlin in 2017 is underway this week in Limestone County Circuit Court, records show.

Terry Dale Amerson is the last of a group of suspects to be tried for capital murder in Gatlin’s death. Marty Gene Stafford and Kandes Elizabeth Lambert were previously convicted of one count of capital murder each for their role.

Prosecutors have said Amerson was part of a plot between the three to rob Gatlin of his tax refund money. The three had planned for Lambert to lure Gatlin to a house on Horton Street in Athens, where Amerson and Stafford would be waiting.

Records list Stafford as the one who shot Gatlin, though all three were indicted because the shooting occurred during an attempted crime in which they had all taken part. Body camera footage shown during Lambert’s trial depicted Lambert and Amerson telling police that someone they didn’t know had broken in through the back door and shot Gatlin, an apparent attempt to cover up the three’s roles in Gatlin’s death, according to prosecutors.

Stafford was arrested the next day at a nearby residence. He was convicted in January 2020 and sentenced to life in prison later that year.

Lambert was tried and convicted in March. Sentencing is set for June 2.