BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Top Photo: File Photo of Hunter Tatum in a court proceeding last year in Autauga County. (Photo by Gerri Miller/EAN)
Hunter Tatum, of Prattville, now has a charge of Capital Murder in the shooting death of his wife, Summer Knight Tatum, and her newborn son Everett. The upgrade was announced today by Chief Assistant District Attorney C.J. Robinson after the case was presented to an Autauga County Grand Jury. The Grand Jury found probable cause to pursue the charge. An arraignment date has not been set as of this report.
Robinson says his office plans to seek the death penalty.
In October of last year, Summer was six months pregnant with her infant son when she was shot twice in the back of the head in the Prattville home she shared with her husband, Hunter Tatum. Both she and her baby died after being transported to Baptist South Hospital by ambulance with life-threatening injuries. Everett was born alive and placed in the NICU, where he died a short time later.
Initially, Hunter Tatum was given a cash only bond of $400,000. However, with the Capital Murder charge now in place, he is being held without bond in the Autauga Metro Jail. He has remained in jail since shortly after the shooting, which was investigated by the Prattville Police Department.
Tatum has had three attorneys in this case, but his attorney of record currently is Jay Taylor.
In a previous court hearing on the original murder charges, Hunter Tatum was noticeably shaking as a Prattville Police Department investigator detailed how he found the victim shot in the head in the back bedroom of the couple’s home on Sunset Court. The defense revealed that the security system in the Tatum house had cameras pointed at the back door and that the couple’s argument and the murders can be seen on video, although partially obscured, through the cracks in the blinds.
Robinson said next door neighbors also have a video camera on the back porch that picked up clear audio of the argument and the crime.
Robinson said there is no evidence that Hunter Tatum attempted to render medical assistance to his wife or his child.
As with any capital murder case, this could be a lengthy process.
“This was not an argument that went too far, it was an evil act that ended in the murders of two people,” Robinson said last year.
Summer Knight Tatum posted about her pregnancy and her excitement in meeting her then unborn son, on social media prior to her death. Many photos document her relationship and marriage to the suspect in her death.
Earlier in October, Summer wrote on social media, “We are on to our next adventure, and we’re more than halfway there! We had our anatomy scan last week and everything looks perfect so far. There were just a few things not visualized so we get to have another look in a couple of weeks. I am so blessed by this pregnancy, but it has been HARD, and at this point I can only assume it’ll be that way to the end. We are so excited to meet our baby BOY.”
Summer Tatum worked as a registered radiologic technologist. She was just 26.
Robinson explained that the capital murder charge is justified because Hunter’s alleged actions not only resulted in two deaths but the heinous act in which they allegedly occurred.
“To me, if we are going to have the death penalty exist, it has to be for cases like this. We are tasked with speaking for the victims who cannot speak for themselves. We represent the weak, and we are talking about an unborn child. To me there is not a better description for that than with this case. The child did absolutely nothing wrong. Some may dispute the charge of murder for an unborn child. But to me there is no controversy, no gray area. This child was 100 percent a person.”
Robinson said, “As with any case, we evaluate the truly cruel, atrocious and heinous crimes. This case has that. We have been in communication with Summer’s family and we will continue that communication throughout the process. This has been a very difficult time for them.”
Robinson said he has seen some truly evil cases, but “It is hard for me to remember one that shakes me to the core like this one. This is as real as it gets. It is completely cold blooded and how can anyone do that?”
