List of Birmingham homicides in 1965

This is a List of Birmingham homicides in 1965. It includes homicide cases occurring within the city limits during the calendar year. Note that not all homicides are ultimately ruled to be murder in courts of law.

Birmingham reported 56 homicide cases to the FBI in 1965.

Listing

• December 5: Lillian Lee Cunningham, 68, was stabbed and strangled to death at her home during a robbery. Clarence Sheppard (sometimes spelled Shepherd) was arrested and charged with capital murder. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Sheppard was evaluated at Searcy Hospital in Mobile County and declared competent to stand trial in 1970. During his 1972 trial, prosecutors relied on the testimony of an accomplice, Alex Welch Jr, and on items belonging to Cunningham found in Sheppard's possession. He was convicted and sentenced to death. That sentence was modified to life in prison without parole by a U.S. Supreme Court decision. During his incarceration, Sheppard was accused of murdering another inmate and escaping from the Autauga County Jail in 1985. He was convicted and given a concurrent life sentence. Sheppard died at the St Clair Correctional Facility from COVID-19 in June 2020.

References

• Koplowitz, Howard (June 12, 2020) "80-year-old state inmate serving 2 life sentences for murder dies of COVID-19." The Birmingham News

See also

• Birmingham homicides by year
• List of homicides in 1965