HAYNEVILLE, Ala. — Prosecutors are upgrading the charge against a teenager suspected in the shooting death of an Alabama sheriff, making him eligible for the death penalty.

News outlets report that District Attorney Charlotte Tesmer said Tuesday a capital murder warrant has been signed against William Chase Johnson, 18, in the slaying of Lowndes County Sheriff John Williams.

The new charge carries a possible death penalty, while the original charge of murder has a maximum sentence of life.

Williams was shot to death at a gas station late last month. More than 2,000 people filled an auditorium for his funeral Monday.

Johnson is the son of a sheriff’s deputy in neighboring Montgomery County. He hasn’t entered a plea in the case.

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