Bond set at $500,000 for man suspected of killing with a shovel
By Lacey Beasley
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MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) — A bond hearing Monday for Morgan Barnhill, the man suspected of hitting a Mobile man in the head with a shovel and killing him, had his bond set at a hefty amount.
“I feel like a piece of my soul is gone, and I don’t know if I can ever get it back,” said Linda Gayle, mother of Etienne Murray.
A judge set her son’s suspected killer’s bond at half a million dollars, and if he does make bond, he’ll be under house arrest with an ankle monitor.
Etienne Murray died Friday afternoon after being hit in the head with a shovel and board Tuesday.
Originally, Mobile Police thought Murray was a burglar who was hit by a homeowner, but further investigation revealed the homeowner, Morgan Barnhill, knew Murray and intentionally misled police about the alleged burglary.
Barnhill has been charged with murder.
“I’m going to fight with every fiber of my being, to my last breath to make sure there’s justice for my child,” said Gayle.
Gayle said there is still positivity coming to the situation. Etienne was an organ donor, and parts of him will live on.
“The organ donor coordinator called me this morning and told me that my cousin, my first cousin matched with the kidney, and the heart was matched with a guy in New Orleans,” said Gayle. “The guy in New Orleans called me, and he says he wants to be a part of our family.”
That gives the family a glimmer of peace.
“It makes me a little bit happier knowing that he’s helped so many people, and out of this tragedy comes a little bit of happiness,” she said.
Barnhill’s arraignment is set for Wednesday.
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