Bell pleads guilty to manslaughter

A Flomaton man originally indicted for murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend pleaded guilty of manslaughter and will spend the next two years in prison followed by three years in community corrections.

Shannon Heath Bell, 33, 11010 Upper Creek Road, entered the guilty plea last week in Escambia County Circuit Court prior to his case going to trial.

Bell received a 20-year split sentence with two years to serve followed by 36 months in community corrections.

Bell was charged for the Dec. 2, 2016 shooting death of Donna Lorane Martin, 36, of Flomaton. Bell originally claimed he and Martin were night hunting near Pollard Landing Road and Jakes Lake Road.

Sheriff' deputies and emergency personnel responded to a 911 call about 6:30 p.m. in reference to a gunshot victim in the Pollard area. The caller asked emergency personnel to meet him at the intersection of Foshee Road and Highway 31. When emergency personnel arrived they found Martin suffering from a gunshot wound to her left side. She was transported by ambulance to D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital in Brewton where she died.

The original warrant stated Bell recklessly caused the death of Martin by shooting her in the side as he was taking a rifle from his truck. He was originally charged with manslaughter and issued citations from Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Officer David Smith for discharging a firearm over a public road, hunting at night and hunting without permission.

District Attorney Steve Billy said an Escambia County grand jury later indicted Bell on the murder charge.