Two arrested in death of Albertville Teen

Albertville police have arrested two people in connection with the death of a 15-year-old Albertville boy reported missing in February.  The body of Jason Glenn Richards was found in May in the Langston Community. Investigators have said he died from a single gunshot wound.

18 year old Ryan Anthony Fitch of Horton, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide, a Class A misdemeanor; abuse of a corpse, a Class C felony; and tampering with physical evidence, a Class A misdemeanor. He is being held on $90,000 bond.

A juvenile has been arrested and could face similar charges. Authorities have not decided whether the juvenile will be charged as an adult in the case.  Police say the three young men were friends. Richards’ death was the result of a single gunshot wound to the head that occurred at a residence on Miller Street in Albertville on Feb. 8, the night of his disappearance.  After investigating, police determined the shooting was not intentional, but was the result of an accidental discharge of the gun by Fitch.  Police said Fitch and a male juvenile at the scene panicked after that accidental shooting and instead of calling authorities, they took Richards’ body and dumped it on Lois Lane in the Langston community.  Richards was last seen at Zaxby’s in Guntersville. Police initially believed he was a runaway, because he had run away in the past. However, he had never remained away from home for a long time, and as more time passed without anyone hearing from him, concerns grew.