Jun. 6—A Decatur man is back in jail for failure to appear on a possession of controlled substance charge and is being held without bond for violating probation on prior first-degree kidnapping and first-degree theft convictions, according to Morgan County Jail records.
An arrest warrant signed by Circuit Judge Charles Elliott was issued for John Unk Pointer III, 43, on May 22 so he could be brought to court for a probation revocation hearing. Records show he was booked into Morgan County Jail on Monday.
The controlled substance charge stems from a November 2020 arrest by Hartselle police after officers caught Pointer with methamphetamine.
According to a police affidavit, officers were dispatched to the Hartselle Walmart on Nov. 19 for a shoplifting call and detained Pointer and another male suspect. During a safety pat down, officers asked Pointer if he had any weapons or drugs, and he said no.
“While performing the pat down, (the officer) located two small bags in Pointer’s left pants pocket,” the affidavit said. “The bags were placed in an evidence envelope.”
After being transported to the police department, the substances inside the bags tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 0.12 grams, according to the affidavit. Pointer admitted the substance was his, referred to it as “ice,” and said he had been using it for the past few months.
That case was ultimately dismissed by Elliott on Oct. 24, 2023, after Pointer entered a guilty plea in a “companion case” involving unrelated felony charges.
The companion case involved a January 2021 kidnapping in which a man was found outside the Wavaho Food Mart on Wilson Street Northwest around 7 a.m., handcuffed behind his back and suffering from bruises, abrasions and facial swelling, according to a Decatur police affidavit. The victim told police he had been picked up in Trinity by Pointer and two other men.
“Once (the victim) got into the vehicle, they locked the door and did not allow him to get out,” the affidavit said.
Pointer and the others allegedly drove the man to a residence on Lafayette Street Northwest.
“As they were getting out of the car, (the victim) was told if he ran, they were going to shoot him,” the affidavit stated.
Once inside, the three met a resident who appeared to have been previously assaulted. One of the suspects accused the original victim of stealing $10,000 in guns. Two of the men began kicking the victim in the head, and the resident was ordered to handcuff him. The handcuffed victim was then also kicked in the face. He later managed to escape and ran to Wavaho for help.
Pointer pleaded guilty to both first-degree kidnapping and first-degree theft in October 2023 and received a 15-year sentence. As part of a split sentence, he was ordered to serve two years in prison with the remaining 13 years suspended and placed on two years of probation.
On Dec. 29, 2022, Pointer was charged with first-degree theft after allegedly stealing $2,980 in cash and building supplies from a Decatur homeowner. The woman had hired Pointer to complete projects around the house and had paid for materials in advance.
“While (the resident) ran an errand, Pointer left the residence and took the supplies with him,” an affidavit said. “Pointer has not returned to the residence to complete the jobs he was paid for and has not returned any money paid to him or the supplies that were purchased.”
— wesley.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442.