By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
BIRMINGHAM — The jury foreman in the murder trial of Jacob Naquade Chambers read a short and simple sentence Friday morning: “We the jury find the defendant not guilty.”

Jacob Naquade Chambers and family members head back into the courtroom prior to the jury’s verdict on Friday, April 1, 2022. (Photo by Bobby Mathews)
The 33-year-old Chambers, of Odenville, was on trial for the November 2020 shooting death of his stepfather, Paul Trull Jr. at a home in Clay.
The jury deliberated from 11:31 a.m. until just past 4 p.m. on Thursday, returning once to ask Circuit Judge Teresa Tanner Pulliam to clarify the law around intentional murder, reckless manslaughter and self-defense. They reconvened Friday morning at 9 a.m. and delivered their verdict shortly before 11 a.m.
“I think the evidence was conclusive that my client had to protect himself and acted in self-defense,” said defense attorney John Tindal. “They found that it was self-defense and ‘Not guilty’ was the correct verdict.”
Tindal said he was not surprised by the jury’s verdict.
Lead prosecutor Joe Hicks had no comment following the verdict. Alexander Carey, who helped prosecute the case, previously said that he could not speak to the media without a supervisor’s consent.
Prosecutors argued that Chambers went to Trull’s home in Clay to confront him, pausing to load his own weapon and put a round in the chamber before arriving at the residence on the 7500 block of Weems Road, proving intent in the killing.
The jury, instead, believed the defense’s argument of self-defense.
Chambers, who took the stand in his own defense earlier in the week, claimed he wanted to confront Trull about alleged sexual abuse of Chambers’ sister, Alex Foster, when she was a child. Foster testified on Chambers’ behalf earlier this week, saying that he acted in self-defense as Trull approached him during their confrontation.
Chambers fired five times at Trull, hitting him three times in the head.