John Michael Legg

There is limited publicly reported information about the early life of John Michael Legg prior to the events of 2020. Sources reporting on the criminal case do not include verified details about his upbringing, education, family background, or employment history before the incident that brought him into public attention. What is documented is that Legg was identified as a resident of the Hartselle area in Morgan County, Alabama, at the time of his arrest following the June 2020 fatal shootings. He was 19 years old when taken into custody in Oregon in connection with the crime.

On June 4, 2020, law enforcement in Valhermoso Springs, Alabama responded to multiple 9‑1‑1 calls reporting gunshots at a residence on Talucah Road. When firefighters extinguished a blaze at the scene, the bodies of seven people and a dog were discovered inside; all human victims had sustained gunshot wounds. Police described the incident as a targeted attack rather than a random act of violence.

The victims included three women and four men. Investigators quickly determined that some of those killed and the suspects were connected through a social club known locally as the “Seven Deadly Sins.” Authorities believed the shooting stemmed from an internal dispute involving alleged stolen property and social media conflicts among members.

On June 22, 2020, John Michael Legg and co‑defendant Frederic Allen Rogers were located and arrested during a traffic stop in Stayton, Oregon, about 15 miles southeast of Salem. They were found in a silver Dodge Charger and were both charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths.

During the course of pretrial proceedings, law enforcement records indicate that Legg attempted to escape custody at the Morgan County Jail in 2022 by donning another inmate’s uniform, an effort that was thwarted by jail staff. Additional escape‑related charges were filed at that time.

In 2024, both defendants’ cases advanced toward resolution. Rogers was convicted earlier in the year and sentenced to life in prison. On December 18, 2024, Legg entered a guilty plea to three counts of capital murder as part of a plea agreement. The plea spared him the possibility of a death sentence. He was then sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.