On Friday, Feb. 17, jurors reached a not guilty verdict in the capital murder trial for Jacob Gideon Copeland, 24, of Madison, which began Monday in the courtroom of Circuit Court Judge Chadwick Wise.

Copeland was charged with two counts of capital murder for the deaths of Damian Blake Ricketts, 21, of Hazel Green and Devin Edward Richard, 22, of Huntsville. Copeland, who was 19 years old at the time of the Aug. 31, 2017, double homicide, claims he shot the two victims in self defense.

The victims were found shot to death inside their white Nissan compact car, which was parked in the driveway of a home in the 29000 block of Analicia Drive.