Pickens County Man Charged With Capital Murder in Double Homicide

A Pickens County man has been charged with capital murder after investigators say he killed a man and woman at a home in Reform before dawn Sunday, then was caught nearby during a burglary in progress.

George Birmingham was formally charged Monday with capital murder, two counts of murder, second-degree burglary, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and resisting arrest.

He is being held in the Pickens County Jail. Additional charges may be forthcoming, according to the Pickens County Sheriff's Office.

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According to a Monday Facebook post from the Pickens County Sheriff's Office, deputies responding to a reported burglary in the 1800 block of County Road 49 at approximately 12:15 a.m. Sunday took Birmingham into custody in connection with that incident.

As the investigation continued, investigators determined he had allegedly committed the double homicide prior to the burglary.

Deputies then responded to a residence on Langdon Woods Road, where they found Justin Elrod and Lena Elrod deceased. The Pickens County Coroner also responded to the scene.

A resulting multi-agency response included deputies with the Pickens County Sheriff's Office, officers from the Reform, Gordo, and Carrollton police departments, and investigators with the 24th Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office.

District Attorney Andy Hamlin, whose circuit covers Pickens, Fayette, and Lamar counties, told The Thread Sunday that he and local investigators were on scene for much of the morning.

"We ask everyone to continue keeping the victims’ families, those affected by this tragedy, and the responding first responders in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time," the sheriff's office said in their post.

The investigation remains active and ongoing.

Pickens County is approximately 45 minutes west of Tuscaloosa.

For more exclusive coverage of crime and courts in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.