Brandon Estle denied bond for murder charge

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The Mobile County District Attorney's Office said Justin Hasty was beaten to death with a baseball bat.

The new details were released while in court Thursday, November 1 during a bond hearing for the suspect Brandon Estle. He was denied bond.

Some people may find the details surrounding the incident disturbing.

Handcuffed and wearing a Metro jail uniform Estle walked into a Mobile County courtroom, where he was met by more than a dozen of Hasty's friends and family.

Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich said Hasty was severely beaten and one of the weapons used was a baseball bat.

The DA said three baseball bats were recovered from Brandon Estle's home in Mobile and will be tested for blood.

Hasty's family listened as Rich told the court, "There was blood splatter on the ceiling of his bedroom."

Rich said she expects as the case unfolds more graphic details will emerge.

"This case is a horrific," said Rich. "I think the facts will come out that this is a very, very disturbing case."

Rich said Estle's father Doug was the one who called the sheriff's office Tuesday and told them they needed to come to his Hi Fields Road home in Grand Bay. 

Rich said once there deputies discovered a container at the edge of a corn field with Hasty's body inside.

She also said a pair of bloody jeans and t-shirt were found in the laundry room of the home and along with blood in the back of Estle's pickup truck.

Estle said it was self defense.

"We have no evidence of self defense at this time," said Rich.

Rich said they are questioning other information at this time as well.

Estle  said he and Hasty were friends. Estle said this during his walk from Mobile Police Headquarters to a waiting squad car bound for Metro jail.

"He was my friend, and I am sorry," said Estle.

"There has been some miscommunication that they were best friends. They were not," said Rich. "They had been friends in high school at Murphy High School but their friendship was estranged, so they were not best friends as has been reported."

Defense attorney Jeff Deen said this is news to him.

"Yeah, I was surprised that is the first I have heard of that," said Deen. "So I need to look into that because they are saying he wasn't his friend. I did not know that. I thought they had been friends since Murphy, but evidently, they are saying that they aren't (friends)."

Doug Estle, who is also the principal of Alma Bryant High School, told FOX10 News Hasty was a good friend of Brandon's and had spent the night at their home before.

Following the hearing, Hasty's family held tight to one another after hearing the gory details surrounding the last moments of his life.

Judge Charles McKnight ordered Estle be held for six months for violating his probation for a DUI charge.

A preliminary hearing is set for December.