Veteran, wife found dead in their home in alleged double murder; suspect arrested

PICKENS COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - Authorities in Alabama say a man is in custody after he was connected to the alleged double murder of a husband and wife who were found dead in their home.

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office says 46-year-old George Birmingham was taken into custody during a reported burglary around 12:15 a.m. Sunday. While questioning him, authorities connected Birmingham to the alleged double murder of Justin and Lena Elrod, 43 and 42, respectively. The husband and wife were found dead in their Reform home.

The suspect was arrested on multiple charges, including murder, and booked into the Pickens County Jail.

Court records allege Birmingham used some sort of metallic object to stab or hit Justin Elrod over the head. He allegedly used an electric saw to kill Lena Elrod.

Authorities said Monday they were still determining a motive but noted Birmingham was an “acquaintance” of the Elrods.

Community remembers couple found slain in home

Those who knew the Elrods are shocked by their sudden loss. Jason Burns, who worked with Justin Elrod at the federal prison in Aliceville said he has to remind himself every so often throughout the day that the couple are no longer here.

“About every five minutes,” Burns said. “About every five minutes, I’m having that moment.”

People used words like “humility,” “steady” and “lowkey” to describe Justin Elrod. Burns noted the man was a “good guy, a good co-worker.”

Aliceville Mayor Terrence Windham said Justin Elrod was a hard worker, steady and fair, someone who never raised his voice. He also said the 43-year-old was a military veteran and worked in law enforcement at one time.

“He was a very humble guy, and he was the last person that I would think that something like this would happen to,” Windham said. “He survived the military, survived working in the prison, and now, this situation, it just makes it even worse.”

Though the people WBRC spoke to didn’t know Lena Elrod as well as they knew her husband, they still described her as a “decent person.”

Burns said he feels as though at some point, the community will move on from this loss but not the couple’s co-workers and friends, not for a very long time.

“As co-workers, we’re not going to move on,” Burns said. “This will be something we’ll be reminded of until we retire or even after.”