Alabama's Deadliest Family Murder

One in three women experiences domestic violence with an intimate partner during their lifetime. Many endure multiple abusive relationships, some starting while they are very young.

Teen Parents & Domestic Violence

Janice Ball of Rutledge, Alabama, was one of those young women involved with an abusive man at a young age. She met Westley Devon Harris at 14, and became pregnant soon after. The couple became parents of a beautiful daughter.

The relationship was far from ideal. Westley was cruel to Janice. He would call her names and would hit and smack her whenever he became angry. Trivial issues often triggered him to lash out at Janice.

Despite the abuse, the two stayed together. By age 16, Janice was pregnant with their second child. Little did anyone know that Westley’s anger would eventually turn into a full-blown psychotic rage that left six of Janice’s family members dead, including her parents, grandmother, and three brothers.

The 2002 massacre remains one of the deadliest family murders in Alabama history. The brutality of the crime led a judge to overrule the jury’s recommended life in prison sentence to impose the death penalty.

The Life of Janice and Westley

What could lead a person to commit such a brutal act?

He believed Janice’s parents wanted to keep him away from Janice and their toddler daughter. Whether this is true or not is unclear, but it’s safe to assume no parents want their child or grandchild around someone who hurts them.

Janice and Westley separated several times. She usually left him alone for a little while after a big argument or when he abused her, but they always worked it out and reunited.

JoAnn Ball and Willie Hasley weren’t excited about their daughter’s relationship. They did, however, hope their granddaughter could have her father in her life. The couple purchased a trailer for Janice and Westley, which they set on the family farm.

As usual, things went well for a while. They always do.

Then, Westley’s anger erupted after Janice asked him to purchase diapers for their daughter. He refused, screamed at, and slapped Janice, leading her to end their relationship. She drove Westley to another location from their trailer and told him to stay away.

Westley repeatedly called Janice over the next two days. He asked if her parents planned to file charges against him; she refused to answer his questions. He drove to the Ball farm, where Janice’s father and oldest brother asked him to leave. He refused, leading them to force him away with shotguns.

August 26: Six Family Members Dead

Consumed by anger, Westley could think of nothing but enacting revenge. As he loathed over what happened, his anger intensified, turning into uncontrollable rage. He decided retaliation was the only way to prove himself a man, to show the Balls who was boss.

At 8:30 a.m. onAugust 26, 2002, Wesley forced his way into the Ball home. He encountered Janice and her 62-year-old grandmother, Mila Ball, who were asleep in a bedroom. He tied both of them up and fatally shot Mila. He tied Janice to a bedpost and proceeded into the bedroom of her 17-year-old brother, Tony Ball, who slept in the bed. He shot Tony as he slept.

I could not imagine what was going through Janice’s mind, nor the fear she must’ve felt.

After killing two people, Wesley hung out at the home with Janice and her daughter. Having witnessed her ex-boyfriend kill two family members, she was afraid to run, afraid to challenge Westley. She sat frozen in fear on the sofa while they watched TV and played with their toddler daughter.

At 3:30 p.m., Janice’s brothers, Jerry and 14-year-old John, arrived home. Jerry dropped John off in the driveway and took off. Westley fatally shot John as he entered the kitchen of his home.

Wilie returned a little while later. Westley spared him the agony of seeing his family lying dead in the house. He walked outside, armed with a pistol and shotgun, and shot the 40-year-old as he stood in the hog pen.

JoAnn Ball, 35, arrived around 4 p.m., about an hour later. Westley shot her in the back of the neck. When he realized that the shot did not kill her, he fired a second round into her back. She died instantly.

Westley later disposed of JoAnn and Tony's bodies inside his trailer, attempting to conceal the brutal murders.

Jerry returned soon after. He pulled up to the farm as Westley loaded JoAnn’s car with belongings. Janice witnessed her brother run into the house and call their mother’s name seconds before Harris shot him once in the head and once in the chest. He stuffed Jerry’sbody into the trunk of JoAnn’s car.

Ball Released; Harris Convicted of Murder

Harris fled the home with Janice and their daughter.

The six bodies were found the next day. Police considered both JoAnn and Harris as suspects and placed them on the most wanted list. Police took them into custody three days later. After speaking to Janice, authorities determined she was a witness, not a suspect. She was released without charge.

Harris was charged with six counts of capital murder. A mistrial was declared in the case in 2004, although he was found guilty on all six counts during a subsequent trial.

The jury recommended a sentence of life without parole by a majority jury vote of 7-5. Attorney General Troy King has sought the Death Penalty for Harris and urged the judge presiding over the case to impose capital punishment. Circuit Judge Edward McFerrin sentenced Harris, 25 at the time, to death by lethal injection. King called the order a “true promise of justice.”

Harris currently sits on Death Row at Holman Prison. He is one of 167 inmates on D.R. in Alabama.

Sources:

https://law.justia.com/cases/alabama/court-of-appeals-criminal/2021/cr-19-0231.html

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-aug-31-na-bamaslay31-story.html