More than two days after a Cullman man allegedly shot into an occupied gas station then gunned down another man outside his Berlin home, investigators are still piecing together the narrative of exactly what led to the murder of  59-year-old Raymond Earl Brooks.

Jay Maynor, 41, of Cullman has been charged with murder in regards to Brooks’ death, along with attempted murder and shooting into an occupied dwelling for firing at another man at a nearby gas station. Brooks was a convicted sex offender, and Maynor had testified against him in a 2002 case involving a family member which the Associated Press reported was his daughter.

Deputies responded to a call Sunday night of shots fired at the Berlin Plaza Quick Stop on U.S. Highway 278 at approximately 7 p.m. Sunday night, after Jay Maynor, 41, of Cullman allegedly shot at a man stopped at the store.

Authorities say they believe Maynor was trying to shoot the boyfriend of his step-daughter. The two were engaged in an “ongoing dispute,” according to Cullman County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Max Bartlett.

“There was apparently some bad blood there, and there may have been some hand gestured exchanged,” Bartlett noted.

Maynor reportedly opened fire on the young man, hitting the gas station office behind him. Approximately 25-30 people were also at a family event beside the gas station and milling around outside, at a karaoke hall, though no one was hurt.

After the young man reportedly took cover inside the store, Maynor traveled to Brooks’ nearby home at 4340 U.S. Highway 278 East. Once there, officials say Maynor shot Brooks several times with a 9-mm semi-automatic pistol, which was recovered on his person when authorities arrived.

Maynor was apprehended by Alabama State Trooper Anthony Peebles, who was responding to the call when the suspect reportedly pulled out in front of him. A deputy arrived shortly after, and Bartlett said Maynor turned himself in without incident.

With the investigation ongoing, Bartlett said his office did not want to comment on the potential motive for murder at this time.

“We’ve been in contact with the district attorney’s office, tying up loose ends and everything is going well,” he said. “We have a few more interviews investigators are working to do, but everything is going smoothly at this time.”

Brooks pleaded guilty to sexual abuse in 2002 and initially was sentenced to five years in prison but later received probation. He finished paying $2,946 in restitution and costs in 2009.

* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 134.