By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

TUSCALOOSA – One suspect has pleaded guilty to his involvement in kidnapping and killing a Maplesville woman in 2015, while two other suspects have been indicted on capital murder charges in the case.

The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office charged 27-year-old Steven Keith George of Centreville, 19-year-old Chylli Bruce of Brent and 31-year-old Michael David Belcher of Centreville each with capital murder charges after hunters discovered Maplesville resident Samantha Payne’s body in the Talladega National Forest on Nov. 9, 2015.

A Tuscaloosa County grand jury indicted the three suspects on capital murder charges in January after Tuscaloosa District Judge James C. Guin ordered in December 2015 the cases be presented to the grand jury for consideration.

According to the indictments, the three suspects allegedly kidnapped Payne and transported her to Tuscaloosa County before killing Payne by “stabbing and/or beating” her.

According to Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court records, Bruce has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of murder in return for her “truthful testimony” against the other suspects.

If she provides truthful testimony, he will spend five years in prison, according to court documents. Bruce has been out of jail on bond since Jan. 15.

In late April, Judge Bradley Almond ordered George to undergo a mental evaluation to determine the suspect’s “mental condition at the time of the alleged offense,” the suspect’s “competency to stand trial” and his “competency to understand and knowingly waive his Miranda rights at the time of making statements to law enforcement.”

The evaluation also will seek the medical examiner’s opinion on whether George “suffered from mental disease or defect at the time of the alleged offense” and “the relationship, if any, of such mental disease or defect to the alleged offense.”

As of July 27, Belcher did not yet have a future court date listed in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court.

Two other suspects, 34-year-old Marcus King George of Centreville and 22-year-old Centreville resident Alyssa Sue Watson, are facing kidnapping charges for their alleged involvement in the case, and are awaiting trial. They have both entered pleas of not guilty.