A Madison man charged with murdering two men told Limestone County investigators the two men pressured him to buy heroin by saying he stole their gun. He also alleged they threatened him by phone, by text message and with what turned out to be an air rifle before he fatally shot them Aug. 31 in Madison-annexed Limestone County.

Limestone County Investigator Rodney McAbee testified about his interview with Jacob Gideon Copeland, 19, of 514 Mill Road, during Copeland’s preliminary hearing in Limestone County District Court.

Copeland, dressed in an orange and white jail jumpsuit and wearing handcuffs and shackles, sat quietly during the hearing. His parents sat in the gallery. His attorney, Bruce Gardner, questioned McAbee about about what he believed transpired, specifically about the air gun the victims had.

After hearing McAbee’s testimony, the only testimony given during the hearing, District Judge Matthew Huggins said he found probable cause to believe a crime was committed and the case was bound over to the Limestone County grand jury. Jurors will decide at a later date whether there is adequate evidence to try Copeland.

Copeland has been jailed since his initial arrest Sept. 1 on two counts of capital murder from outside a vehicle. He is accused of gunning down 21-year-old Damian Blake Ricketts of Hazel Green and 22-year-old Devin Edward Richard of Huntsville, between 2 and 4 a.m. Aug. 31.

The two men 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. The homeowner awoke to find the men in the car, thought they had passed out, and called 911, McAbee testified. What began as a medical call turned out to be a double homicide. Deputy Jonathan Hardiman arrived at the scene, determined the men were dead and had been shot, McAbee said.

During the initial investigation, officials determined Copeland was the last person listed on one of the victim’s cellphones.

McAbee testified that a message sent to Copeland read, “You don’t know who you are F-ing with, give us our stuff back. Give us our gun back.”

How it began

Under questioning by McAbee, Copeland said he had met the two victims after a friend of his had recommended him as a source to buy marijuana.

The two victims had asked a woman where they could buy marijuana, and she named Copeland. McAbee testified Copeland was not a large-scale narcotics dealer, but he did sell marijuana. He said Copeland and the two victims met up at a party at the home of Copeland’s friend, “Mac.”

Copeland said the men wanted to buy $300 worth of pot, so the three of them went to an ATM to get some cash. However, the two victims had insufficient funds. Copeland said they gave him some heroin, and though he did not do heroin, he took it to appease them. They also talked about trading their gun for pot but that plan never materialized, Copeland told McAbee.

Later, McAbee said, the two victims came back to the party, knocked on the door and said they wanted their gun.

Copeland told McAbee he had seen the two men put their gun in their vehicle, and he believed they were lying about him taking it to pressure him into giving them marijuana or buying heroin from them.

“He said he did take some heroin the men offered the night before (the murder), mainly so they would leave him alone,” McAbee said.

Defense attorney Bruce Garland, who Copeland retained to represent him in the case, asked McAbee about several points in his testimony, specifically the gun.

After the men began phoning and texting Copeland about returning the gun and their heroin, he asked them to meet him. He said he brought them pot, the heroin they had given him and some ecstasy, hoping they would let it go. The victims pulled into the Analicia Drive driveway, though the homeowner knew neither the victims or the suspect in the case. Copeland had driven to the area in his vehicle and walked to the location. He met with them, gave them his marijuana, ecstasy and the heroin they had given him the night before. He told McAbee that Richards, the passenger in the vehicle, had a rifle in his lap, which turned out to be an Airsoft rifle. Copeland said Richards pointed the rifle at him and told him, “You know you’ve got more than that; give us everything you’ve got.”

McAbee said Copeland told him he “made like a little fake cry, backed up, got his pistol from his waistband and started shooting.”

Officials have told The News Courier one of the victims sustained three gunshot wounds to the head, while the other sustained six gunshot wounds to the head and torso.

Gardner asked McAbee if the air gun looked like a real gun.

McAbee said it did.

“At night, would it be a concern to you,” Gardner asked the investigator.

“Yes, sir, it would,” McAbee said.

During questioning, McAbee said Copeland told him he took the Airsoft rifle in their vehicle, which investigators found later under a Bushhog at Copeland’s home, where he lived with his parents. He threw his own gun into a body of water on the refuge and burned his clothes in a fire pit at his home.

Investigators did find heroin, Xanax and ecstasy in the victims’ vehicle.