Four men charged with felony murder following a evening home invasion last Thursday in Brompton made their first appearance in court Tuesday.

Mark Lyle Massey, 19, of Trussville, Richard Allen Holloway, 18, of Leeds, Duel Wayne Pope, 21, of Leeds, and Nicholas Bell, 20 of Trussville made their first court appearance before District Judge Phil Seay by way of the county’s video conferencing system. The four men are charged with the murder of 18-year-old Robert Joseph Denton, of Moody, who was shot and killed after three of men allegedly entered a home at 40 Pioneer Way in the Trail’s End Community.

County authorities report that Denton was shot and killed by the resident of the home, Michael Holderfield, 54, just before midnight last Thursday. Holderfield was assaulted and sustained injuries to his hands, including breaking his left hand.

Denton was pronounced dead at the scene from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

St. Clair County Sheriff’s Captain Billy Murray said that three of the men were armed with baseball bats when they entered the mobile home in the Trails End community just before midnight Thursday.

It was discovered during the ensuing investigation that two of the other suspects assisted in the events of that night.

Massey was captured a half-hour after the shooting at the Brompton Chevron. Holloway was arrested last Friday afternoon at a Birmingham motel. Pope and Bell were apprehended late Friday afternoon in Moody.

Because Denton’s death occurred during the course of a burglary in which all five men were involved in some way, the four suspects are charged with murder, which is a Class A felony.

At Tuesday’s video hearing District Court Judge Seay advised the four suspects and appointed each of them with an attorney. A preliminary hearing for the murder cases will be on March 16.

Judge Seay set the bond amounts for Pope and Holloway at $250,000 each. Seay ordered Massey and Bell to remain in the St. Clair County Jail without bond.

According to officials, Bell has a pending felony theft charge in Etowah County and Massey is on probation from a previous case in Jefferson County.

St. Clair County District Attorney Richard Minor said he was unsure if all the suspects will be tried together, though he said it is possible that all four of the suspects could be tried together. The courts will determine if they are tried together, Minor said.