A preliminary hearing was held Monday afternoon in Limestone County District Court for Vernon Allred, 55, of Limestone County, who is charged with capital murder in the shooting death of his estranged wife Tracie Lynn Allred. Judge R. Gray West presided over Monday’s hearing.

Limestone County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Steven Ferguson was the only witness at the preliminary hearing. He told the court he was called on the evening of Nov. 5, 2022, and directed to go to Athens-Limestone Hospital where the victim had been pronounced dead in the passenger seat of her daughter’s car.

Ferguson testified that Tracie Allred was found to have a gunshot wound to the neck, the collarbone, and left breast. One 9mm shell casing was found inside the car as well as three projectiles. Officers also found two spent shell casings at the scene of the shooting at the 14000 block of Chris Way off of Blackburn Road.

Ferguson testified the shooting occurred sometime between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on the evening of Nov. 5. Witnesses told investigators that Vernon Allred had been “couch surfing” at the residence on Chris Way. That evening, Ferguson said, Tracie and the Allreds’ daughter stopped by to visit and drink a few beers while the daughter colored Vernon’s hair.

Just prior to the shooting, witnesses told Investigator Ferguson that while sitting on the front porch, Vernon asked Tracie if they would be getting back together. She told him no, and Vernon stood up and went inside the house. Tracie and the daughter walked to the car. Tracie got into the passenger side of the car while her daughter stopped to speak to a friend on the other side of the car.

Investigator Ferguson told the court that one of the homeowners was inside the trailer and after hearing the shots, jumped up and saw Vernon Allred running toward Pitt’s Auto near the corner of Blackburn Road and Ham Road. Officers found Vernon Allred near the intersection underneath a bush as well as a Hi-Point 9mm hand gun. The same witness, according to Ferguson, said that Vernon Allred had told him multiple times that day he would kill Tracie if she didn’t get back together with him.

Ferguson also recalled the witness saying that Vernon planned on buying Tracie a 9mm for Christmas and “blowing her head off with it.”

Allred’s defense team, Brian White and John Totten, then asked about other witnesses that were at the scene that day. The ex-boyfriend of the Allreds’ daughter, who was present during the shooting, has not been located. Ferguson told the court that he was an undocumented immigrant and fled the area soon after the incident.

The defense also asked about the amount of alcohol Vernon Allred might have consumed that day. Ferguson testified that Vernon Allred told him that he had three or four beers but was not drunk. No urinalysis or blood alcohol test was administered to Ferguson’s knowledge.

Judge West found sufficient probable cause to bound the case over to the grand jury and denied bond to Vernon Allred.