By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA–A 36-year-old Columbiana man arrested on a felony murder charge on July 10, 2014, was indicted on the charge on Jan. 23, according to court documents.

Dennis Allen Little, 36, was arrested on July 10, 2014, and charged with the murder of Johnny Lee Patterson.

Patterson’s body was discovered at approximately 11 a.m. in a home on the 100 block of Looney Road on July 4, according to Columbiana Police Chief Lamar Vick.

“On or about” July 3, Little allegedly “caused the death of Johnny Lee Patterson with a multi-tool knife,” according to court documents.

According to documents filed by the District Attorney’s Office, Little was on probation for assault in the second degree in Shelby County at the time the alleged murder took place.

In addition, Little has a “lengthy history of arrests including two felony convictions” and “is believed to be violent and poses a substantial risk to the public,” according to court documents.

“I would like to commend the actions of my officers. Within hours of the discovery of the victim’s body, we had apprehended and incarcerated the person we believed committed the terrible crime. Our investigation has led us up to this point, and it continues. There is still work to do, but we are convinced we have the right person in custody and the community at large is safe,” Vick wrote in a news release issued at the time of the incident.

Officers and investigators from the Columbiana Police, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Shelby County Coroner’s Office, Shelby County District Attorney’s Office and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences all worked “toward the conclusion we are realizing today,” Vick wrote.