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Police: Man breaks into home, dies

By Mark Harrison
The Times-Journal

Published July 2, 2009

A Dawson man was found dead in Fort Payne Wednesday after he allegedly broke into the home of his ex-wife armed with a .22-caliber rifle.
Police Commissioner Ron Ogletree said officers Charles Elmer Stewart, 41, dead at a home in the 800 block of Fort Payne around 8:30 p.m.
“All we can say right now is that we found him dead and the incident is still under investigation,” said Detective David Davis.

He said Stewart allegedly forced his way into his ex-wife’s home sometime Wednesday evening while she was out and waited for her to return. She did so, along with her sister and brother-in-law, Davis said.

Stewart threatened the group with the rifle, at which point the brother-in-law tried to grab the weapon, Davis said. He said during the struggle, the rifle went off, but no one was hit.

After the struggle, the relatives ran out of the house and called 911. None were injured. Ogletree said Fort Payne officers DeKalb deputies arrived a short time later to find Stewart lying dead on the living room floor.

Ogletree would not further identify any of those threatened by Stewart, but said none are suspected of any type of wrongdoing.

“In fact, this could have been an even greater tragedy if not for the brave actions taken by the brother-in-law,” Ogletree said.

He said Stewart’s body has been sent for autopsy. Stewart and his ex-wife had been divorced about three years, he said.

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