Birmingham, AL 02/28/2017
46-year-old Willie Bell Jr of Center Point has been charged with the murder of 36-year-old Janet Renae Shaw and the attempted murder of one of her children.
Just after 3:30 yesterday afternoon deputies responded to a report of a woman being assaulted in an apartment in the 1800 block of Center Brook Lane in Center Point.
Deputies arrived and found the 36-year-old Janet Renae Shaw unresponsive on a bed in the apartment. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
Willie Bell
46-year-old Willie Bell Jr was taken into custody without incident and was questioned by Sheriff’s detectives.
Detectives learned that the couple had been living together in the apartment as husband and wife for several years. Three children lived with them, the victim’s 18-year-old son, 15-year-old son, and the couple’s 9-year-old son.
Earlier in the day, the couple began arguing. She told him to leave and he became enraged and strangled her. When her 15-year-old son arrived home from school he discovered her body in the bedroom. Bell attacked the child and attempted to strangle him as well. The teen was able to escape to another apartment to call for help. The couple’s 9-year-old son arrived later on a separate school bus and was intercepted by family members before going inside the apartment. The 18-year-old was not present.
Bell admitted to detectives that he had committed the murder and had attempted to strangle the child.
This afternoon Sheriff’s detectives obtained arrest warrants charging Bell with Capital Murder, and Attempted Murder. Bell is being held in the Jefferson County Jail under no bond.