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LUVERNE, Ala. (DailyKenn.com) — A 44-year-old father of four was fatally shot during a heated argument at a rural home in south Alabama, leaving his family grappling with grief and a community reeling from the sudden loss.
Travis Clayton, a resident of Opp, died Oct. 30, 2025, in what authorities described as a domestic altercation that escalated tragically. The incident unfolded around 1:45 p.m. at a residence in the 1000 block of Quail Tower Road in Luverne, a small town of about 2,700 in Crenshaw County, roughly 50 miles south of Montgomery.
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According to investigators, Clayton had been released from jail just an hour earlier that day when he arrived at the home of DeAndre Phiffer, 39, of nearby Rutledge. What began as a verbal dispute involving Phiffer, Clayton and two unidentified women quickly turned violent. Witnesses reported hearing shouts and scuffling before a single gunshot rang out. Clayton was struck in the head and collapsed on the property, where responding officers from the Luverne Police Department found him unresponsive. Emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene despite immediate efforts to revive him.
Phiffer, who lives at the Quail Tower Road address, was detained shortly after. He told investigators the shooting stemmed from a longstanding disagreement that boiled over during the confrontation. Charging documents detail that Phiffer retrieved a handgun from inside the home amid the argument and fired once, claiming self-defense. No weapons were found on Clayton, and the two women present provided statements corroborating the sequence of events but offering conflicting accounts on who initiated physical contact. Phiffer was arrested and charged with manslaughter, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. He was held without bond in Crenshaw County Jail as of Wednesday, with an initial court appearance scheduled for next week. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's State Bureau of Investigation took over the probe at the request of local sheriff's officials, citing the need for impartiality in a close-knit community.
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Clayton's death has cast a shadow over Opp and Luverne, where he was remembered as a devoted provider who often checked in on his aging mother, Patricia Clayton, despite his own struggles with the law. "He was my rock—always calling, always showing up," Patricia said through tears, describing her son as inseparable from his four children, ages 8 to 16. A GoFundMe campaign launched by relatives has raised over $15,000 for funeral costs and support for the family, highlighting Clayton's role as a hands-on father who coached youth sports and worked odd jobs in construction.
Local leaders expressed sorrow at a vigil held Sunday evening outside the Crenshaw County Courthouse, where about 100 residents gathered with candles and prayers. "Travis was one of us—a fighter with a big heart," said Luverne Mayor Kitty Campbell. "This reminds us how fragile life is in moments of anger. We pray for healing and justice." The Crenshaw County Sheriff's Office has urged anyone with additional information to come forward, emphasizing that the investigation remains active.
Clayton's funeral is set for Saturday at Opp's First Baptist Church, where mourners anticipate a full house to honor a man whose life, though imperfect, touched many.
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