Fort Payne man pleads guilty in april death

A 32 year old Fort Payne man pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to a 20-year prison term by Ninth Judicial Circuit Judge Randall Cole for the April death of a 35-year-old woman.  Douglas Steven Minor, was charged with murder in the death of Bobby Lynn Ross, who was found dead April 25 in a Lookout Mountain home.  Law enforcement officers sought Minor and a female immediately after the incident was discovered, and found the two in a Cherokee County chicken house. The female was found with a number of bruises on her face and was determined to have been a victim in the incident.  According to a press release from the Ninth Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s office, an investigation proved a dispute arose between Minor and Ross over drug use. He assaulted her, and Ross, who suffered from chronic illnesses, was fatally injured. A preliminary autopsy report indicated she died from blunt force trauma and ruled her death a homicide.  District Attorney Mike O’Dell said the plea came after Minor communicated with his office.