On March 13, 2014, Circuit Court Judge Charles ‘Lex’ Short accepted the guilty plea of Shane D. Long, 27, for his role in a home invasion that occurred on Dec. 31, 2005.

Long and his father, Jackie D. Long, were both indicted by a Covington County Grand Jury in June of last year, after the investigation was re-opened by the Covington County District Attorney’s Cold Case Task Force.

Shane Long, who was 19 at the time of the crime, pled guilty to the charges of Robbery II and Burglary II for his part in the crime. He was sentenced to 15 years on each count and remanded to the custody of the Alabama Department of Corrections to begin serving his prison sentence.

On New Year’s Eve, 2005, the two men entered the Jordan home on Hwy 137 in Wing, and robbed and brutally assaulted Henry Jordan. Jordan’s wife and children were inside the home at the time.

In June of 2013, a Covington County grand jury indicted both men for attempted murder, robbery I and burglary I.

In a previous interview with The Star-News, Merrell said, “The Longs knocked on Mr. Jordan’s door and made entry in the predawn hours,” Merrell said. “They attempted to rob Mr. Jordan and commit a theft, but it went bad. Mr. Jordan suffered massive blunt force trauma to the left orbital socket and temple region and forehead. He also suffered a significant skull fracture and had permanent loss of sight in his left eye.”

Nothing was taken from the home, and Merrell said law enforcement was unable to develop leads following the attack. Jordan ultimately died in 2007 from the injuries, Merrell said. He was 62.

“There is some medical evidence to support Mr. Jordan’s death was a result of the home invasion,” he said.

As to the age of the case, District Attorney Walt Merrell stated, “Sometimes, to truly find justice, we have to be patient.  I am thankful that the men on that task force were patient enough to find all of the pieces of the puzzle, and put this case together. They did a great job and I’m glad they found this piece of justice for the Jordan family.”

Merrell said as a condition of his plea agreement with the state, Shane Long “has agreed to fully cooperate with the prosecution of his father.”

Merrell also expressed his appreciation to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Department, the Alabama Bureau of Investigations, the Alabama ABC Board, the U. S. Marshall’s Task Force, the Andalusia Police Department, the Opp Police Department, the Florala Police Department and the Covington County Sheriff’s Department for their efforts in this investigation and their participation in the Cold Case Task Force.