Court of Criminal Appeals upholds murder conviction of Covington County woman
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals has affirmed the conviction of Zhanna Shaye Bolling, age 34, for murder. On November 3, 2021, Bolling was convicted in Covington County Circuit Court for the murder of Ed Foster. Her conviction was upheld by the Court on October 7, 2022. “Ms. Bolling intentionally fired the shot that eventually took the life of Ed Foster, and for her crime, she was sentenced to 30 years in prison,” said AG Marshall. “Despite Bolling’s efforts to appeal her guilty verdict, she cannot escape justice.” On April 5, 2019, a River Falls Police Department officer responded to a 911 call and found the victim, Ed Foster, still alive, lying in the middle of the street, and suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the head, Andalusia Star News reported. The officer testified that Foster told the officer that Bolling had shot him. Covington County Sheriff Blake Turman also arrived at the scene and spoke with Foster after he was transported to the hospital. The investigation later determined that Foster had been shot inside his house during an altercation with Bolling. The victim died approximately three weeks after he was shot. Covington County District Attorney Walt Merrell’s office successfully prosecuted this case and obtained a guilty verdict. The lower court sentenced Bolling to thirty years imprisonment for her murder conviction. Bolling appealed her conviction to the Court of Criminal Appeals. The Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Division handled the case during the appeals process, arguing that Bolling’s conviction was just. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Bolling’s conviction o in a decision issued Friday, October 7, 2022. Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General Laura Irby Cuthbert for her successful work on the appeal. He thanked Covington County District Attorney Walt Merrell and his staff for their assistance in defending the murder conviction. AG Marshall was appointed AG by then-Governor Robert Bentley in 2017. He was elected to his own term in the 2018 election. He is seeking a second term in the November 8 general election, where he faces Tarrant Police Chief Wendell Major. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
