BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Top Photo: Autauga Metro Jail booking photo of Michael Jerome Butler, of Greenville, Alabama.
A Greenville man accused of multiple Autauga County crimes including kidnapping and rape, now faces a murder charge in St. Clair County, Alabama. Officials say more charges could be coming from what they deem a “crime spree” across Alabama and Georgia.
Multiple jurisdictions have been working together since Michael Jerome Butler was taken into custody in Jefferson County over the weekend. An alert was issued statewide for law enforcement this past weekend concerning the hunt for Butler after his alleged kidnapping and rape of two young women in Prattville. When the vehicle Butler was believed to be driving was located, a high-speed pursuit ensued, where Butler allegedly wrecked the vehicle and fled on foot. He was soon taken into custody by Jefferson County officials.
A team from the Prattville Police Department traveled to Jefferson County taking Butler into custody. He was booked a short time later in the Autauga Metro Jail.
Officials are investigating multiple other crimes over last weekend that could include Butler as the suspect. These include, but may not be limited to, a home invasion, shooting/assault and robbery that occurred outside of Autauga County.
Butler’s latest charge is for the murder of Victoria Ann Malet, 54, of Lincoln, Alabama. Malet died from gunshot wounds in a wooded area of St. Clair County. Her body was discovered around 11 a.m. Nov. 6.
Multiple agencies continue investigating, documenting Butler’s travels after he left the Prattville area.
For now, Butler remains in the Autauga County Jail with no bond on multiple local charges including Robbery 1st degree, Rape 1st degree – 2 counts, Sodomy 1st degree – 2 counts, Sexual Torture, Sexual abuse 1st degree – 2 counts, and Kidnapping 1st degree- 2 counts.
Initially Butler was granted bond, but in his first appearance before Judge Joy Booth in Autauga County last week, she revoked bond per the kidnapping charges.
Investigators from St. Clair County were in Prattville recently to connect the dots between Butler’s alleged crimes locally and in other jurisdictions.
In a release sent to the EAN Thursday afternoon, St. Clair Sheriff Billy J. Murray said, “I would like to thank the following agencies for assistance in this investigation: Prattville Police Department, Autauga County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln Police Department, Oxford Police Department, East Metro Area Crime Center, FBI, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia, Chattahoochie Hills PD in Georgia, St. Clair County District Attorney’s Office, and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division.”
Area officials continue to praise the young girls from the Prattville incident, who were able to give investigators critical information and descriptions which led to Butler as the suspect. “They are heroes,” District Attorney CJ Robinson said.
