Cops snare suspects in Alabama murders

A traffic stop in Metuchen on Thursday ended up yielding two suspects wanted for questioning in connection with a double murder in Alabama last week.

Metuchen police officer David Liantonio said Cpl. J.P. Therrien pulled over a 1978 Dodge Aspen with no license plates at Main and West Cedar streets around 7:45 p.m. on Thursday.

Upon patting down the driver, Samuel A. Hitt, 22, of Semmes, Ala., Therrien found Hitt in possession of a magazine for a semiautomatic weapon, Liantonio said.

Also in the car with Hitt were his wife of one week, Ashleigh M. Hitt, 18, of Mobile, Ala., and her brother, Kyle T. Smith, 22, of Linden.

Further investigation revealed three guns in the car: a .45-caliber Colt revolver, a .45-caliber Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol and a .22-caliber Ruger semiautomatic pistol, according to police.

At least one of the guns was found to have been the property of Stephen Ellis, 48, of Mobile, Ala., who was shot and killed last week.

Last week, the Mobile Register reported that Ellis and his daughter, Stephanie, 16, were found shot to death in their home by a family member around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both were shot in the head and had been dead for a couple of days.

According to the Register, the Hitts had been residing at the Ellis home.

Liantonio said the Hitts had traveled to New Jersey in a red Chevrolet Cavalier, which broke down somewhere along the New Jersey Turnpike. They hitched a ride the rest of the way to Smith’s, who is the owner of the Aspen.

Samuel and Ashleigh Hitt were both charged in Metuchen with weapons offenses and receiving stolen property. Ashleigh Hitt was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia in the form of syringes.

Smith was charged with weapons offenses, receiving stolen property and possession of hollow-point bullets.

On Friday, the Mobile Register reported that both Hitt and his wife were charged with capital murder and that the .22-caliber Ruger was believed to be the murder weapon. Mobile homicide detectives were en route to New Jersey to question the pair and possibly bring them back.

The Hitts were each held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Facility, North Brunswick, on $1 million bail each.

Smith was held on $50,000 bail.

— Bryan Sabella