Man arrested in deadly Beulah shooting states he missed his intended target, authorities say
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- Man arrested after shooting Oscar Lee Eiland fatally; admits to shooting but claims he missed intended target.
- Futral charged with murder, held without bond; shot victim from 75 yards away with .243 caliber rifle.
A Lee County man is in jail this morning following a deadly shooting in the Beulah community Sunday night.
Image: LCSO
Deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call on June 1, 2025, at approximately 7:18pm CDT, about a shooting in the 100 block of Lee Road 685. When deputies arrived on scene, they located 58-year-old Christopher James Espey Futral, of Opelika, hiding behind a fence. Futral called out to deputies, saying that he was putting his gun down and was coming out with his hands up. Futral was immediately detained and placed in a patrol unit.
58-year-old Oscar Lee Eiland, of Opelika, was located at his residence in the 100 block of Lee Rd. 685, with what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds to the pelvic and groin area. Deputies performed CPR on Eiland until EMS arrived on the scene. He was transported by ambulance to East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators recovered a .243 caliber bolt action hunting rifle and multiple spent shell casings from the yard at Futral’s residence.
“It was determined that Futral shot the victim from a perched position from approximately 75 yards away,” authorities said. “He admitted to the shooting but stated he missed his intended target.”
Futral was arrested and charged with murder. He is being held in the Lee County Detention Center with no bond, awaiting an Aniah’s Law Hearing.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 334-749-5651 or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867).
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