The Selma Times-Journal

Antonio “Teenager” Bell, 21, was sentenced to life in prison Monday in Circuit Judge Tommy Jones’ court for the 2002 murder of Camilo Fields.

On Sep. 22, 2002, police were dispatched to 608 Texas Court on a “gunshots fired” call. When officers arrived, they found Fields laying in the street with visible gunshot wounds. According to reports, Fields had been shot three times – once in the back of the neck and twice in the right leg.

Fields was immediately transported to Vaughan Regional Medical Center and then air-ambulanced to Carraway Methodist Medical Center’s neuro-intensive care unit in Birmingham.

Paralyzed from the neck down, Fields identified Bell as his shooter by his nickname, “Teenager.” In a previous report, Assistant District Attorney Milton “Mickey” Avery said Fields picked Bell out of a photo lineup.

On Oct. 29, 2002, Fields died. He was 24 years old.

On Jan. 25, a jury of six men and six women deliberated for roughly two and a half hours before finding Bell guilty of murder.

The jury’s decision satisfied Camilo’s mother, Lillie Fields.

“What my son said became a reality today,” Fields said shortly after the verdict was read.

District Attorney Michael Jackson said Bell’s sentencing is a stern wake-up call for law violators. “We are going to make sure that these gunslingers and murderers realize that Selma is not the Wild Wild West,” he said.