Topline: Michael Kennedy died before standing trial in Deborah Diane Prater’s killing, more than 12 years after the fatal attack.
Published: October 9, 2026 7:04 am ET
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Michael Kennedy (via Jefferson County Sheriff's Office)
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Michael Kennedy, charged with killing his ex-girlfriend by setting her on fire in 2014, died Oct. 6 while in Jefferson County jail custody, before his murder case reached trial.
The 60-year-old had been found incompetent to stand trial and was awaiting placement with the Alabama Department of Mental Health, according to AL.com. The victim, Deborah Diane Prater, died days after the attack.
Kennedy reported feeling ill Oct. 3 at the jail’s Bessemer facility and was taken to UAB Hospital. The Center Point man was pronounced dead there at about 3:36 p.m. Oct. 6, Alabama’s 42 reported, citing the coroner’s office. An examination was scheduled for Oct. 7 to determine the cause and manner of death; the reports did not provide those findings. Court documents cited by the station show a 2015 murder indictment.
Deputies responding to a reported house fire just after 2:30 a.m. on July 27, 2014, found Prater burned on her head, arms, upper body and legs in the 4400 block of Nellie Anderson Street. Investigators accused Kennedy of pouring gasoline on her during an argument and igniting it with a cigarette.
Prater was 49. Kennedy, then 48, was arrested in Midfield the following afternoon on domestic-violence and attempted-murder charges; authorities upgraded the case to murder after she died, according to WBRC’s original reporting.
Her daughter Cherry Woodson later told WBRC she tried to extinguish the flames with water. The youngest of Prater’s five children, Woodson recalled her mother once giving her own shoes to a woman in Ensley.
Both investigators and Woodson described a three-year relationship, but their breakup timelines differed: investigators said Prater ended it about a month before the attack; Woodson said about three months.
AL.com reported that Kennedy was committed to the state mental-health department, later released to live with a relative, and eventually left that home and stopped receiving medication. He returned to jail in May 2025.
In July 2026, Bessemer Cutoff Circuit Judge Thomas Thrash ordered him held until placement with the department for restorative services. A case-status hearing had been scheduled for December.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788 to connect with trained advocates 24/7. Support is free, confidential, and available in over 200 languages. You can also visit thehotline.org for more information and resources.
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Man Awaiting Trial in Ex-Girlfriend’s 2014 Burning Death Dies in Custody
Michael Kennedy died before standing trial in Deborah Diane Prater’s killing, more than 12 years after the fatal attack.
By Silvia Torres
Published: October 9, 2026 7:04 am ET
Michael Kennedy (via Jefferson County Sheriff's Office)
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Michael Kennedy, charged with killing his ex-girlfriend by setting her on fire in 2014, died Oct. 6 while in Jefferson County jail custody, before his murder case reached trial.
The 60-year-old had been found incompetent to stand trial and was awaiting placement with the Alabama Department of Mental Health, according to AL.com. The victim, Deborah Diane Prater, died days after the attack.
Kennedy reported feeling ill Oct. 3 at the jail’s Bessemer facility and was taken to UAB Hospital. The Center Point man was pronounced dead there at about 3:36 p.m. Oct. 6, Alabama’s 42 reported, citing the coroner’s office. An examination was scheduled for Oct. 7 to determine the cause and manner of death; the reports did not provide those findings. Court documents cited by the station show a 2015 murder indictment.
Deputies responding to a reported house fire just after 2:30 a.m. on July 27, 2014, found Prater burned on her head, arms, upper body and legs in the 4400 block of Nellie Anderson Street. Investigators accused Kennedy of pouring gasoline on her during an argument and igniting it with a cigarette.
Prater was 49. Kennedy, then 48, was arrested in Midfield the following afternoon on domestic-violence and attempted-murder charges; authorities upgraded the case to murder after she died, according to WBRC’s original reporting.
Her daughter Cherry Woodson later told WBRC she tried to extinguish the flames with water. The youngest of Prater’s five children, Woodson recalled her mother once giving her own shoes to a woman in Ensley.
Both investigators and Woodson described a three-year relationship, but their breakup timelines differed: investigators said Prater ended it about a month before the attack; Woodson said about three months.
AL.com reported that Kennedy was committed to the state mental-health department, later released to live with a relative, and eventually left that home and stopped receiving medication. He returned to jail in May 2025.
In July 2026, Bessemer Cutoff Circuit Judge Thomas Thrash ordered him held until placement with the department for restorative services. A case-status hearing had been scheduled for December.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788 to connect with trained advocates 24/7. Support is free, confidential, and available in over 200 languages. You can also visit thehotline.org for more information and resources.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Man Awaiting Trial in Ex-Girlfriend’s 2014 Burning Death Dies in Custody
Michael Kennedy died before standing trial in Deborah Diane Prater’s killing, more than 12 years after the fatal attack.
By Silvia Torres
Published: October 9, 2026 7:04 am ET
Michael Kennedy (via Jefferson County Sheriff's Office)
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Michael Kennedy, charged with killing his ex-girlfriend by setting her on fire in 2014, died Oct. 6 while in Jefferson County jail custody, before his murder case reached trial.
The 60-year-old had been found incompetent to stand trial and was awaiting placement with the Alabama Department of Mental Health, according to AL.com. The victim, Deborah Diane Prater, died days after the attack.
Kennedy reported feeling ill Oct. 3 at the jail’s Bessemer facility and was taken to UAB Hospital. The Center Point man was pronounced dead there at about 3:36 p.m. Oct. 6, Alabama’s 42 reported, citing the coroner’s office. An examination was scheduled for Oct. 7 to determine the cause and manner of death; the reports did not provide those findings. Court documents cited by the station show a 2015 murder indictment.
Deputies responding to a reported house fire just after 2:30 a.m. on July 27, 2014, found Prater burned on her head, arms, upper body and legs in the 4400 block of Nellie Anderson Street. Investigators accused Kennedy of pouring gasoline on her during an argument and igniting it with a cigarette.
Prater was 49. Kennedy, then 48, was arrested in Midfield the following afternoon on domestic-violence and attempted-murder charges; authorities upgraded the case to murder after she died, according to WBRC’s original reporting.
Her daughter Cherry Woodson later told WBRC she tried to extinguish the flames with water. The youngest of Prater’s five children, Woodson recalled her mother once giving her own shoes to a woman in Ensley.
Both investigators and Woodson described a three-year relationship, but their breakup timelines differed: investigators said Prater ended it about a month before the attack; Woodson said about three months.
AL.com reported that Kennedy was committed to the state mental-health department, later released to live with a relative, and eventually left that home and stopped receiving medication. He returned to jail in May 2025.
In July 2026, Bessemer Cutoff Circuit Judge Thomas Thrash ordered him held until placement with the department for restorative services. A case-status hearing had been scheduled for December.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788 to connect with trained advocates 24/7. Support is free, confidential, and available in over 200 languages. You can also visit thehotline.org for more information and resources.
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