TROY, Ala. (WDNews) — A Pike County jury found Tyiesha Pollard guilty of murder Wednesday, Oct. 14, in the 2023 shooting death of her husband, Quinta D. Maddox.
According to the 12th Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, jurors deliberated for about three hours before returning the verdict following several days of testimony. Pollard is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12 at the Pike County Judicial Complex.
Jury selection began Oct. 7 in Pike County Circuit Court. The jury was seated and the trial began that same day. Circuit Judge Henry “Sonny” Reagan presided, with Deputy District Attorney Ternisha Jones and Assistant District Attorney Blake Meadows representing the state.
The case stemmed from Maddox’s killing Sept. 3, 2023, in Troy.
According to the district attorney’s office, testimony and evidence showed that Troy police and Troy Fire and Rescue initially responded to a single-vehicle crash on Pine Street. After removing the driver from the vehicle, responders discovered he had a gunshot wound.
Police could not immediately identify the driver. Their investigation took them to a home in the 600 block of Pine Street, where patrol officers spoke with Pollard.
Prosecutors said Pollard did not mention a shooting during that encounter. Instead, she directed officers to Brantley Mobile Home Park to seek information about the person involved in the crash.
The investigation eventually led officers back to the Pine Street home. When they checked the side of the house, they found blood on the ground and bullet strike marks on an exterior wall, according to the district attorney’s office.
During a formal interview, Pollard told investigators that Maddox had attacked her. Prosecutors said she initially stated that she pulled out a gun, then said Maddox had the gun. She described a struggle over the weapon that ended with Maddox being shot.
Pollard also told investigators that a fight occurred inside the home and that multiple shots were fired there.
However, prosecutors said a search found no evidence suggesting a struggle or fight inside the house. Investigators found only one bullet hole inside, near the back door. Evidence showed that bullet traveled from inside the home toward the outside.
According to the district attorney’s office, investigators could not determine the exact location from which the gun was fired because Pollard had collected all the shell casings and thrown them in a trash can. However, prosecutors said the evidence showed that multiple shots were fired outside the home.
Prosecutors also said Pollard had no marks or injuries indicating that Maddox had physically attacked her.
An autopsy conducted by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences determined that Maddox had been shot twice — once in the leg and once in the back.
The bullet that struck his back traveled at a slightly downward angle and exited through his abdomen. That wound was fatal, according to the district attorney’s office.
The autopsy found no soot or stippling on the wounds or Maddox’s clothing. According to prosecutors, those findings indicated the shots were fired from more than 18 inches away rather than at close contact.
The district attorney’s office said the autopsy findings and physical evidence were inconsistent with Pollard’s account.
Deputy District Attorney Jones said the verdict brought acknowledgment of what Maddox’s family had maintained since his death.
“I appreciate the jury’s verdict in this case and am glad the family of Mr. Maddox finally has verification of the truth that they have known and carried for these past three years- that Tyiesha Pollard murdered Quinta Maddox.”
Assistant District Attorney Meadows credited the investigation by Troy police.
“This verdict is a direct result of the thorough investigation conducted by the Troy Police Department in this case. The evidence gathered during the investigation helped us show the jury all the inconsistencies and holes in Defendant Pollard’s version of events.”
District Attorney James Tarbox also praised the prosecutors’ work.
“Hard work pays off in the courtroom. I’m grateful to Deputy DA Jones and Assistant DA Meadows because their hard work has yielded a good and just result in this trial. Because of that hard work, our team was able to show all of the lies and inconsistencies told by Defendant Pollard in this case.
“Now, the family of Mr. Maddox will be able to close this chapter of the book and hopefully be able to remember the good times they had with their loved one.”
The district attorney’s office thanked the Troy Police Department, Troy Fire and Rescue and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for their work and investigation.
