On Friday, June 11, a Hale County Grand Jury issued indictments for three persons relating to the murder investigation of Teresa Whaley Mayfield. Scott Mayfield was indicted for solicitation to commit murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. Dawn Lavender was indicted for murder and Willie Underwood was indicted for conspiracy to commit murder.

Sheriff Kenneth Ellis and deputies from the Hale County Sheriff’s Office served warrants of arrest the same day. Scott Mayfield was arrested without incident near his home on County Road 42 in Akron. Dawn Lavender was arrested without incident at her place of employment, Phiffer Wire Company in Tuscaloosa. The third suspect, Willie Underwood, was arrested Sunday, June 13 at his home near Havana. All three suspects remain in the Hale County Jail under $750,000 bonds each.

Sheriff Ellis stated this case is still ongoing, and “after three long years the Whaley family can finally rest a little easier knowing I never gave up on finding Teresa’s killer(s)”. “The Whaley family has been through a lot, I hate this incident ever happened for all the families involved, in this situation, no one wins”.