Jacob Gideon Copeland

A 19-year-old Madison man was arrested early Friday in connection to a double homicide that occurred Thursday morning in East Limestone, according to a press release.

The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office announced Jacob Gideon Copeland of 514 Mill Road has been charged with two counts of capital murder of a person in a vehicle. No bond has been set.

Investigators believe Copeland shot 21-year-old Damian Blake Ricketts of Hazel Green and Devin Edward Richard, 22, of Huntsville. Their bodies were discovered Thursday inside a white compact car in the driveway of a home in the 29000 block of Analicia Drive. A homeowner leaving for work made the discovery at about 7 a.m.

Both victims had been shot multiple times, the release said.

Information released early Friday by the Sheriff’s Office did not indicate what connection the men had to the neighborhood, which is located off Old Railroad Bed Road. Investigators have also not said why the men had parked in the driveway of the home or how they knew each other.

During the course of the investigation, it was determined Copeland was the last person to have contact with the victims, the release said. When investigators went to his residence, he fled on foot but was soon apprehended. A search of his residence was then conducted by investigators with the Sheriff’s Office, Madison Police Department and state Bureau of Investigation.

Copeland was taken to the Limestone County Jail and interviewed. He was ultimately charged with the homicides, based on probable cause, the release said.

The release said it took about 18 hours to solve the case and relied on a number of investigators from the Sheriff’s Office and assistance from the SBI and Huntsville and Madison police departments. Sheriff Mike Blakely specifically praised the work of investigators Rodney McAbee, Caleb Durden, Chad Harbin, Kristin King, Tim McNeil, Lt. Jay Stinnett and Lt. Johnny Morell.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our deputies and investigators who worked tirelessly throughout the day and into the night to solve this case, and the mutual assistance they received from other agencies was second to none,” Sheriff Mike Blakely said. “The team effort that was on display over the past 20 hours is just remarkable.”

The News Courier will continue to update this story as information becomes available.