Shivangi Sinha
In December 2017, police responded to reports of a shooting in Mobile, Alabama. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the remains of Kenneth Foster Jr. and James Rutledge inside a vehicle. What followed was an investigation that led detectives to closely examine the victims’ lives and consider whether someone close to them could have been responsible for the crime. A&E’s ‘After the First 48: Point of No Return’ explores the details of the case and the investigation that ultimately revealed the killer’s motives.
Kenneth Foster Jr. and James Rutledge Were Driving in the Same Car When They Were Shot
Kenneth Foster Jr. grew up in a large family in Mobile, Alabama. His twin sister, Keanna Foster, remembered her brother as a bright light in her life, and the two shared a particularly close bond. Kenneth was also very close to his other sister, Marquita Sampson. Raised in a middle-class household, the siblings enjoyed a relatively ordinary upbringing, and their parents encouraged them to build stable, trouble-free lives. Kenneth was still in school when he first met James Rutledge. The latter had lost both of his parents at a young age and had spent much of his life in the foster care system. One of his closest friends was Kenneth, and the two spent a great deal of time together in their neighborhood.
20-year-old Kenneth and 19-year-old James were out for a drive when they were shot multiple times on the 2100 block of Felix Street in the Toulminville community on December 21, 2017. At around 11:15 pm, police received a call reporting a possible shooting and rushed to the scene. When officers arrived, they found both friends inside a vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds. Sadly, Kenneth and James had already died by the time first responders reached them. Detectives immediately launched an investigation to identify the responsible party and bring the case to a resolution.
The Killer Initially Gave a False Alibi to the Police
Kenneth Foster Jr. and James Rutledge appeared to have been shot in the back of the head, and investigators recovered 9mm shell casings from inside the vehicle. Kenneth’s pockets had been turned inside out, which made detectives initially consider robbery as a possible motive. However, there were no signs of forced entry or a struggle involving the vehicle, which led them to believe that the victims likely knew the person who had been with them that night. As the investigation progressed, detectives interviewed people connected to the victims and eventually focused on Darrell Watts, a 21-year-old man from the neighboring community of Chickasaw, Alabama.
Investigators learned that Darrell had arranged to meet Kenneth and James on the evening of the murders and was believed to have been with them when the shooting occurred. Darrell was brought in for questioning and told detectives that Kenneth had picked him up from his house and dropped him off at work. He admitted that the three were friends and said that such arrangements were not unusual. According to him, after finishing his shift, he spent the rest of the night with his girlfriend. Detectives later interviewed his girlfriend, who initially provided the same account and supported his alibi. Meanwhile, investigators learned that the murder weapon was a .38-caliber revolver rather than the 9mm handgun found in the vehicle, which Kenneth’s family had identified as belonging to him. With few leads remaining, the investigation appeared to stall. However, on December 27, 2017, Darrell’s girlfriend arrived at the police station on her own and provided detectives with new information that would alter the course of the case.
She told detectives that Darrell had instructed her to lie during her earlier interview, but that she had actually witnessed the murders. According to her statement, Kenneth and James often teased Darrell about dating her because she was only 17. She said that on the night of the shooting, she was sitting in the back seat with Darrell when another argument broke out between him and the two friends. During the confrontation, she said, Darrell pulled out a .38-caliber revolver and shot both Kenneth and James. She further stated that after the shooting, Darrell told her to run, and she fled the scene. Acting on the new information, investigators searched Darrell’s residence and recovered Kenneth’s 9mm handgun. Darrell was subsequently arrested and charged with capital murder in the deaths of both Kenneth and James.
Darrell Watts is Serving a Life Sentence Today
Due to delays caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, Darrell Watts’ trial did not begin until March 2024, nearly six years after his arrest. At the conclusion of the proceedings, he was found guilty on two counts of capital murder and was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment. In January 2025, his legal team filed a motion seeking a new trial, arguing that the presiding judge should have recused himself from the case. As of now, that appeal remains pending and has not yet been heard in court. Darrell is currently incarcerated at Limestone Correctional Facility in Harvest, Alabama, where he is expected to remain for the rest of his life unless his conviction is overturned.
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