Dontae Callen was sentenced to death by the State of Alabama for a triple murder
According to court documents Dontae Callen would go to a home and murder Bernice Kelly, 59, and his cousins Quortes Kelly, 33, and Aaliyah Budgess, 12.
Following the murders Dontae Callen would set the house on fire
Dontae Callen would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Dontae Callen Photos
Dontae Callen FAQ
Where Is Dontae Callen Now
Dontae Callen is incarcerated at Holman Death Row
Dontae Callen Case
An Alabama appeals court has upheld the capital murder case of a Birmingham man convicted of killing three relatives.
The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals ruled Friday on a challenge filed by 24-year-old Dontae Callen.
Callen was convicted of killing his 59-year-old aunt, Bernice Kelly, and two cousins, 33-year-old Quortes Kelly and 12-year-old Aaliyah Budgess. The three were found with stab wounds in a burning house in 2010.
The judges rejected Callen’s appeal, which included claims he should have been tried as a youthful offender. Callen was 18 at the time of the slayings.
The court didn’t overturn Callen’s conviction or death sentence. But they say a judge needs to rewrite a sentencing order to explain the reasons for the death sentence.
