A 69-year-old man been convicted in the 2022 shooting of a woman in Blount County.
A Blount County jury found Roger Dale Owens, of Birmingham, guilty of attempted murder following a trial that began last week. Owens lived in Blount County at the time of the crime and later moved to East Lake.
On Feb. 6, 2022, authorities responded to 143 Cedar Ridge Drive in Blount County after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting that a woman had been shot.
When they arrived, they found a 40-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. She was laying just inside the doorway of a camper.
Before being airlifted to Huntsville Hospital, the victim was able to identify Owens as the shooter, said District Attorney Pamela Casey.
Owens was taken into custody at the scene.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that on that night, Owens and a female companion got into a disagreement.
The companion decided she wanted to leave and called her daughter, the victim in the case, to come to the residence to pick her up.
The female companion testified that Owens warned her that he would shoot anyone who came to get her. The companion testified, however, that she did not believe Owens had a gun and did not believe he would actually shoot anyone.
The victim testified that upon her arrival, she knocked on the door of the camper trailer, entered the residence and had a brief conversation with Owens.
According to the victim, Owens reached for a shotgun during the conversation, pointed it at her and fired.
Owens took the stand in his defense and testified that he did not intend to shoot the victim.
According to Owens, he only intended to shoot the door so the victim would know he wanted both women to leave.
The jury deliberated about 30 minutes before returning the guilty verdict.
“I am especially grateful that we were not prosecuting a murder case here today,’’ Casey said following the verdict. “Local emergency medical personnel responded to the scene quickly and provided our victim the highest level of care.”
She thanked all those who worked to save the woman’s life and get justice for her, including dispatchers, volunteer firefighters, medics, and healthcare providers.
“Prosecutors get credit when there is a conviction,’’ Casey said. “But we cannot do our jobs effectively without the hard work and support of the men and women who take the calls, respond to the scene, provide the care, and put these cases together.”
Owens was taken into custody and will be held in the Blount County Correctional Facility until he is sentenced.
