Murder Charges Dropped Against Prichard Suspect After Detective Fails to Appear in Court

In a surprising turn of events, murder charges against a Prichard man were dismissed on Tuesday after a detective failed to attend the scheduled preliminary hearing. Kendarius Welch, 28, had been facing serious allegations in connection with the April 2 murder of Dontavious Williams. However, a Mobile County judge threw out the case when the key detective did not appear in court.

Despite the dismissal, Welch remains behind bars at the Mobile County Metro Jail, held on separate charges from the state Department of Corrections. Jail records reveal that Welch was also dealing with four probation violations at the time of his arrest, which continue to keep him in custody.

Welch, along with Nicholas Elias Mixon of Mobile, had been charged with murder following Williams' death. Their cases have unfolded over several weeks, with Welch’s preliminary hearing spread across multiple days.

Prichard Police Detective Jason Hadaway, who was a crucial witness in the case, attended one of the earlier hearings but did not show up for the final session. This absence led Mobile County District Court Judge Spiro Cheriogotis to dismiss the case at the request of Welch’s attorney, Jerome Carter.

The judge’s order succinctly stated, “Defendant appeared in Court from jail for preliminary hearing with attorney Jerome Carter. Detective Jason Hadaway not in Court. Case is dismissed at Defendant’s request …”

While Welch’s case was dismissed, his co-defendant Mixon saw his situation take a different path last week. Judge Cheriogotis set Mixon's bond at $75,000 and ordered that he be placed under house arrest, according to court documents.

This case highlights the importance of consistent attendance in court proceedings and raises questions about the handling of key witnesses in criminal cases.