Courtroom packed for Brandon Estle's preliminary hearing

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - New details in the murder case against Brandon Estle came out in court Dec.6 during his preliminary hearing. 

Estle is charged with killing his friend Justin Hasty and then hiding his body in a storage bin.

Estle is accused of killing Justin Hasty in October.

Hasty's body was found folded inside a plastic container on the property of Estle's parents.

During the preliminary hearing, Cpl. Charles Bagsby with the Mobile Police Department told the court Hasty had been severely beaten with a baseball bat.

“The plastic tool box was used for storage, and it was about four feet wide and four feet tall,” said Bagsby. “The body of Justin Hasty was folded inside.”

Bagsby said multiple items were placed on top of the storage bin including an old vehicle car seat.

Bagsby also told the court the Hasty had been shot after he died while inside the box.

The defendant Brandon Estle told FOX10News while on the way to Mobile Metro Jail that it was self defense.

Cpl. Charles Bagsby testified that Estle told police it was a "bad argument between friends."

Estle claims Hasty hit him with a bat first, and tried to shoot him.

The DA believes otherwise.

"The evidence does not indicate at all that this is a self defense case at all. Based on the magnitude of the beating, based on the fact that he continued to shoot the victim after the victim was dead does not indicate it was self defense," said Rich.

Family and friends of both the victim and defendant packed Judge Charles McKnight's courtroom as the gruesome details of a blood splattered ceiling, walls and clothes were described.

Hasty's family did not want to speak to the us, Clem Richardson  a friend of the Estle family spoke on its behalf.

"We have known Brandon his whole life. He is a fine young man, and this is an unfortunate situation. But the family and friends plan to stand behind him and support his parents the entire time," said Richardson.

Authorities said a pound of pot was found inside Hasty's bedroom closet.

Rich would not say whether drugs was involved in this case, but did say both the victim and defendant used them.

"That does not negate the fact that this young man was beaten to death at the hands of someone he knew. Regardless of drug activity, this is a murder case, and we intend to fully go forward with a charge of murder," said Rich.

Following the hearing, Estle was led away back to jail where he is serving a six month sentence for a probation violation.

Judge Mcknight sent this case over to a grand jury.