Suspect arrested in Daleville drive-in murder case, asks for bail | WDHN

Aaron Dixon and Joseph Hodges

11 minutes ago

DOTHAN, Alabama (WDHN) – A Dale County man accused of shooting his wife in the drive-thru line at a McDonald’s is asking a judge to set bail in his case, continuing to maintain his innocence and insisting he was home the entire time.

Ricky McCray is charged with murder. He is accused of shooting his wife Stephanie three times, later killing her. Police say the McCrays were arguing in the drive-thru line at the McDonald’s in Daleville, an argument that could be heard over the intercom.

When they arrived at the pickup counter, Stephanie told the employee to call 911 because the man in the passenger seat had a gun, according to police.

The employee at the window said they saw the man with the gun in his hand, closed the drive-thru window and ran away – before they heard the three shots that took Stephanie’s life.

An investigator who took the stand during McCray’s hearing on Tuesday said that McCray did not become a suspect until two or three days after the shooting and that he was even at the hospital to check on Stephanie when she was pronounced dead.

Ricky says he was at his home in Ozark most of the day and never committed the crime.

Police say they have three employees at the restaurant who heard the gunshots, and security cameras from nearby businesses showing the suspect fleeing McDonald’s. There is also video of Ricky’s car leaving the area minutes after the shooting and video of his vehicle on a road in Newton that one would take to get from Daleville to his home in Ozark just minutes after the shooting.

No weapon was seized, but cartridge cases were found and examined.

Ricky is asking for bail to be set in his case. He says he will appear in court, has no criminal record, has lived in the same house for over 14 years and owns his own workshop.

However, the state believes Ricky should not be granted bail because he has been charged with multiple misdemeanors, ranging from menacing to prostitution in two different states.

The state also says Ricky poses a threat to the community because the shooting occurred in a very public place.

In this case, the judge has reviewed Ricky’s motion for bail and the state’s motion to deny bail and is expected to issue a decision in the next few days.