The memorial services for two University of Alabama students who were killed last week in a Conecuh County hunting camp fire have been set for this week.
A service for James “Walter” Hensley II, 19, will take place at Dauphin Way United Methodist Church at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 7, while a memorial mass for Mark “McNeil” Mostellar Jr., 21, will be held at St. Ignatius Catholic Church on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at 10 a.m. CST.
The two Mobile natives were each business majors and members of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity at The University of Alabama.
“Moments like these remind us of the true purpose of fraternity,” DKE shared in a post. “We are called to be there for one another in both celebration and hardship. Brotherhood is not just about shared experiences, but about shared strength.”
Four people were inside the structure located off State Highway 84 when the fire began in the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 1. Two others were injured and taken to the hospital.
The passing of Mostellar and Hensley left the community reeling, with posts shared from family, friends and organizations the students were a part of.
Hensley’s high school football coach, Ham Barnett, said in an interview with Fox10, “My wife woke me up yesterday morning with the news and I was shocked because there were certain people who come into your life and I think his death is going to change my life.”
“He always had good days, and I know that sounds cliché, but he really did, like we never had to push him he just had that drive inside of him and that’s how he lived his life,” he said.
Mostellar’s former coach shared the student’s impact as well, “He always had a smile on his face, he was well liked by everyone,” former UMS-Wright head coach Terry Curtis told Fox10. “The coaches, the teachers, his friends he was just a fun person to be around.”
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.

