Media Release from District Attorney Andy Hamlin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2026
A Fayette County man with an extensive criminal history will serve life in prison following his conviction by a Fayette County jury on April 22, 2026. Matthew Bruce Page was convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute, Failure to Affix a Tax Stamp, Certain Persons Forbidden to Possess a Pistol, and Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement Officers.
Page, 36, was sentenced to serve life in prison along with two concurrent 20-year sentences. Page absconded on April 21, 2026, during court proceedings, and was later captured in Georgia, where he attempted to evade arrest by giving a false name.
"This wasn't a one-time mistake. This defendant had a long history of criminal behavior, repeatedly ran from law enforcement, and even attempted to avoid the court process itself,” 24th Judicial Circuit District Attorney Andy Hamlin said.
“The people of Fayette County deserve to be protected from offenders who continually show they have no intention of following the law. This sentence reflects both the seriousness of these offenses and the defendant's persistent pattern of criminal conduct."
In December 2022, Fayette County Sheriff's Office deputies attempted to stop Matthew Bruce Page while he was operating a motorcycle in Fayette County. Page fled from law enforcement at high speeds, leading deputies on a pursuit through the county.
During the pursuit, officers witnessed Page discard multiple items from the motorcycle before ultimately crashing. Deputies recovered a large amount of methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm from the roadway and surrounding area where the defendant was seen throwing them during the pursuit.
At a sentencing hearing on June 4, 2026, prosecutors presented evidence of Page's extensive criminal history. His prior felony convictions included two convictions of Receiving Stolen Property in the Second Degree and one conviction of Shooting into an Occupied Building. Page also carried convictions for Domestic Violence and six prior convictions for Attempting to Elude
a Law Enforcement Officer.
The case was investigated by the Fayette County Sheriff's Office. Prosecutors Kaleb Beams and Rachel Eaves represented the State of Alabama.
“I’m grateful for the work our prosecutors and law enforcement officers put into this case,” Hamlin said. “Their preparation and testimony helped make this result possible.”
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