Birmingham Man Sentenced to 35 Years After Second Conviction in Fatal Center Point Home Invasion

A Birmingham man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal shooting of another man during a Center Point home invasion over four years ago.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Stephen Wallace handed down the sentence to 24-year-old Frank Steele for the 2019 killing of 21-year-old Benjamin Gonzalez.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wallace recommended that Steele receive mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Steele was initially convicted of capital murder in 2023, but Judge Wallace later granted a new trial due to defense claims of juror misconduct. The defense argued that some jurors had improperly used Google to research distances between locations mentioned during the trial. Prosecutors did not object to the defense's motion for a new trial.

During the retrial in May, Steele was convicted of the reduced charge of felony murder.

The incident occurred on Sunday, October 19, 2019. Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of gunshots at an apartment complex in the 1800 block of Martinique Drive N.E. Gonzalez was found dead at the scene.

Steele was arrested within days. Initially charged with capital murder due to the involvement of a burglary, the case was not pursued as a death penalty case. Before the retrial, Steele had been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Warren Brooks and Nick Taggart, while Steele was defended by attorneys Adam Danneman, Paul McDaniel, and Madeline Hillsmith.