2014 Birmingham homicides

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This is a List of Birmingham homicides in 2014. It includes homicide cases occurring within the city limits during the calendar year. Note that a "homicide" refers to the cause of death as determined by a medical examiner, not to the commission of the crime of murder as charged by police and prosecutors.

A total of 45 homicides have been reported in the city as of September 14, putting the city on pace for 64 for the year. Based on the 2013 census estimate of 212,113 population, that would represent 30.2 homicides per 100,000 population. Birmingham had 67 homicides in 2013, a record low of 64 in both 2010 and 2011, and a record high of 141 in 1992. At this time in 2013 there had been 52 homicides reported.

The city has averaged 5.3 homicides per month, or one every 5.7 days. There were 3 incidents in January, none in February, 5 in March, 8 in April, 8 in May, 5 in June, 3 in July, 7 in August and 6 so far in September. The longest stretch without a homicide was the 33 days between June 15 and July 20. Ten deaths were reported on Sundays, 3 on Mondays, 4 on Tuesdays, 3 on Wednesdays, 3 on Thursdays, 12 on Fridays and 10 on Saturdays.

Of the 45 reported homicides, suspects have been identified in 26 cases, apprehended in 22, and charged in 17. One suspect killed himself. Six homicides were ruled justifiable by prosecutors, including one officer-involved shooting, and three other deaths were caused by reckless driving rather than malice aforethought.. The police department therefore acknowledges 39 chargeable homicides, of which 36 were classified as murders. At the end of June, the Department claimed to have closed 19 of 23 cases for an 84% clearance rate.

Thirty-seven of the reported homicides were shootings, four were stabbings, and three resulted from vehicle collisions. Fourteen took place on the streets, fifteen inside homes, four at apartment complexes, six at businesses, two at a motorcycle club, six in the front yards of houses, and one at a city park. Twenty-eight were reported in the West Precinct, nine in the East Precinct, four in the South Precinct and three in the North Precinct. Three incidents resulted from love triangles, six originated as domestic arguments, four occurred during robberies, two occurred following drug transactions, four were part of ongoing disputes, one arose from accidentally knocking a motorcycle over, and two were the result of reckless driving. Thirty-four victims were male and 9 were female.

Listing by date

  1. January 1: Desmond Bias, 36, was shot to death at 3212 Wesley Avenue in Germania Park (map) following a domestic dispute between two couples which originated in Midfield. A suspect was taken into custody at the scene, but officials determined that the shooting was justifiable and filed no charges. (report)
  2. January 11: Osha Antonio Dale, 19, also called Osha Blackmon, was killed in a head-on collision at the intersection of Princeton Parkway and 4th Avenue West in Southwest Birmingham (map). Gary Wayne Pruitt, Jr, the driver of a car that sped through the stop sign, was arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  3. January 21: Derrick Green, 27, was found shot to death on the sidewalk on the 2900 block of Avenue T in Ensley (map) following a shootout suspected to have erupted from a drug deal. Another person, also wounded, was later admitted to Princeton Baptist Medical Center for treatment. Investigators determined that the fatal shot was fired in self defense and filed no charges (report)
  4. March 1: Harold Eugene Davis, 34, was shot to death and another man wounded in the 900 block of Erie Street in Wylam (map). Demarques King and Henry "Ra Ra" Toles left the scene in a burgundy Toyota Camry with a white door. After questioning, it was determined that Toles had fired in self-defense and no charges were filed. (report)
  5. March 9: Timothy Lamar Austin, 23, was shot to death on the 900 block of 17th Street Southwest near Harrison Park. The suspect fled in a silver Chevrolet Malibu. No arrest. (report)
  6. March 9: Darius Marquez Moore, 23, was shot to death while sitting in his Ford Explorer in his grandfather's yard on the 6100 block of Blocton Avenue near Bessemer Super Highway. A suspect fired another shot toward the house, then fled on foot. Tyree Law was arrested a few days later and charged with capital murder. (report)
  7. March 21: Victor Swanson, 23, was shot to death on 66th Court Way South near Joppa Avenue in Gate City in an apparent disagreement over a woman. DeAnthony Thomas was taken into custody at the scene and charged with murder. (report)
  8. March 22: Tyrone Hampton, 26, was stabbed to death during an argument over a woman on the 300 Block of 14th Street Ensley (map). William Hood was arrested and charged with manslaughter. (report)
  9. April 1: James Butler Redmon, 27, was shot to death on the 1700 block of 32nd Place North in Norwood Bottoms (map). Tavares Cortez Taylor was taken into custody at the scene and later charged with murder. The shooting was apparently part of a domestic dispute. (report)
  10. April 5: Chaya Anders, 63, was found shot to death following an apparent robbery in her store, Ebony Beauty Supply, at 2913 27th Street North in North Birmingham (map). Bianca Holman was arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  11. April 6: Patricia McClain, 61, was found dead inside a plastic storage bin outside the Chateau Terrace Condominiums at 1540 15th Street South (map). Charles Jordan, who shared an apartment with her at Chateau Terrace, was arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  12. April 24: Ladarius Thomas, 19, died at UAB Hospital from wounds suffered in a shooting two days earlier at the Devonshire Place apartments off Sunhill Road in Sun Valley (map). A shootout with another male began when their respective girlfriends got into a fight. Devon Brown of Madison was arrested for a separate incident and the handgun he was carrying matched the weapon used to shoot Thomas. He was charged with murder. (report)
  13. April 25: Dekova Jemille "Doc" Harris, 36, was shot to death along with a female victim at a house on the 1300 block of 57th Place Ensley (map). Dewayne Barnes and Jermaine "Lil Jay" Tolbert were charged with capital murder. A confidential informant told investigators that they were hired to target Harris as retribution for the September 2013 murder of Nicholas Perez. (report)
  14. April 25: Sharday Ware, 27, was found alongside Harris.
  15. April 26: Clarence Harris, Jr, 37, was shot to death on the 5600 block of Aster Avenue in Roosevelt City just after midnight (map).
  16. April 28: Jamal Kree Richburg, 19, was shot during an altercation on the 1700 block of 4th Avenue West. He was driven to Princeton Baptist Medical Center and then transferred to UAB Hospital where he later died. Deontese Benson was arrested in June and charged with murder. (report)
  17. May 2: Kerry Delano Hardy, 46, was found shot to death in an automobile in the alley between Carol Street and Barbee Street off Wenonah Road in East Brownville. No arrest. (report)
  18. May 9: Jeffery Juantez Hines, 24, was shot outside his ex-girlfriend's house on the 200 block of 16th Place Southwest and died after being transported to Princeton Baptist Medical Center by his brother. Suspect Melvin Anthony Barnes was charged with murder. He surrendered to police on May 27. (report)
  19. May 9: Devante KyShon "Red Man" Hinds, 21, was shot to death by a Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy in the Wal-Mart parking lot off Parkway East. Hinds was allegedly involved in a heroin deal and attempted to run over the deputy before he was shot. The Jefferson County District Attorney is reviewing the case. (report)
  20. May 9: Denetria Leonice Johnson, 36, was killed in an auto collision on the 5400 block of East Lake Boulevard. Cordell Wade, a convicted robber released from prison in September 2013, was charged with manslaughter based on evidence that he was driving under the influence and was on the wrong side of the road. (report)
  21. May 10: A security guard who had fired at another security guard was shot and killed by an off-duty Birmingham Police Department officer who was also working security at the Foxx Trap gentlemen's club. The club had opened under a Judge's restraining order following a May 6 Birmingham City Council vote to revoke its business license.
  22. May 11: Keary Hollis, an off-duty Birmingham Police Department West Precinct officer, was shot to death after knocking over another man's motorcycle with his car at the Bush Hill Quick Stop on the 2500 block of Bush Boulevard. Patrick Johnson was arrested hours later and charged with capital murder. (report)
  23. May 17: James Farentino Madden, 41, was found shot to death on the 1200 block of Lawson Road. No arrest. (report)
  24. May 20: Christopher George Handley, 29, was found shot to death in an alley near the 1500 block of Pearson Avenue Southwest. No arrest. (report)
  25. June 2: Jessie Taylor, 69, was shot to death in the lobby of McMillon Estates on 57th Street in Ensley. Willie Bell, a former boyfriend, killed her in an apparent jealous rage, then returned to his apartment and shot himself before police arrived. (report)
  26. June 6: Stephanie Grigsby Davis, 55, was shot to death by her husband while working in the Management Information Systems Building at Glenwood Autism and Behavioral Health Center off Sicard Hollow Road in the Overton neighborhood. The husband, James Davis, carjacked another person and forced them to drive to Jack's in Irondale, where the victim fled. Irondale police captured him on foot on the 1800 block of Montclair Road. He was charged with murder. (report)
  27. June 6: James Edward Walters, 32, was found shot to death inside his car at an apartment complex on the 4400 block of 5th Avenue South across from Birmingham Fire Station No. 10/22. No arrest. (report)
  28. June 14: Michael Parker, 40, was shot to death on the front porch of a house on the 2600 block of Avenue D. Isaac Carr, who had been using drugs with Parker before their argument, was arrested at the scene and later charged. (report)
  29. June 15: Arthur Lee Mills, 53, was shot to death while attempting to stop a burglary at his neighbor's house at 1808 1808 3rd Place Southwest in the Woodland Park neighborhood. The neighbor, Juliette Lockett, died a month later from a heart attack that family members attribute to the stress of the crime. Mills exchanged fire with the suspects who fled in a previously-stolen Hyundai Sonata and Lockett's Cadillac CTS. Davarius McGee and Aronde Samuels were arrested and charged with capital murder. One other suspect is sought. (report)
  30. July 20: Shaun Bishop, 43, died at UAB Hospital from a gunshot wound to the leg. He was found on the 400 block of 37th Avenue West. No arrest. (report)
  31. July 25: Jake Nelson, Jr, 37, was found with gunshot wounds and lacerations on the street on the 1200 block of Pineview Road in Green Acres. He had been shot while trying to break into a house, and investigators ruled that it was justified. (report)
  32. July 26: Ashley Gunn, 26, was shot to death in an assault on the 1600 block of Avenue I Ensley. No arrest (report)
  33. August 13: Angela Marie McCall, 34, was killed by a car that jumped the curb while she was walking on the sidewalk on the 9500 block of Parkway East. Sylvestor Corderyl Taylor was named as a suspect and surrendered to police.(report)
  34. August 23: Cornigel Lafayette Murray, 20, was found fatally shot outside the Kangaroo Express store at 301 Robert Jemison Road after a fight. William Leigh Oliver was charged with manslaughter. (report)
  35. August 29: Donald Billups, Jr, 50, was found dead inside a burning house on the 3000 block of 1st Place West in Hooper City. He was reportedly living in the house, though it lacked windows and utilities. He was found with stab wounds to the chest. No arrest. (report)
  36. August 29: McDaniel Watson, 50, was shot in the head during an attempted robbery at George Ward Park and died later at UAB Hospital. Her car was stolen and later recovered. No arrest (report)
  37. August 30: Linda Allbritton, in her 70s, was stabbed to death during an apparent robbery at her apartment at The Four Winds on the 600 block of 39th Street South. Her car was found on the 4000 block of 3rd Avenue South near the home of Jeffery Justice, a man who had helped Allbritton capture stray cats. He had been seen by a witness driving the car and had the keys in his possession when he was arrested. He and another suspect, Gustavius Brown , were both charged with capital murder. (report)
  38. August 30: Wilbert Hawkins, 47, was shot to death during a gunfight outside the Showstoppers Motorcycle Club on Coosa Street. James Edward Armstong III was arrested in Rockdale County, Georgia and charged with capital murder. (report
  39. August 30: Stevens Bryon Hicks, 48, was shot during the same gunfight and died later at UAB Hospital.
  40. September 2: Cartez Juan Woolen, 38, was assaulted when he stepped outside a house on the 1500 block of 53rd Street in the Central Park neighborhood. Two cars were seen fleeing the scene. No arrest. (report)
  41. September 3: Latrell Hines, 23, was shot in the chest after stepping out onto the front porch of a house on the 200 block of 4th Terrace North in Smithfield. The suspect left the scene in a dark-colored car. No arrest. (report)
  42. September 4: Marvin Waller, 22, was shot in the chest from an SUV while standing outside an apartment on the 1600 block of Jefferson Avenue in Southwest Birmingham. No arrest. (report)
  43. September 4: Barry Davis, 51, was found stabbed to death in his home on the 100 block of 6th Avenue South in Titusville. His roommate is sought for questioning as a person of interest. (report)
  44. September 6: An unnamed male was shot when he entered a bedroom where his ex-girlfriend and another male were sleeping at a house on Beta Street. Both men were wounded in the ensuing shootout. The other man was taken into custody pending formal charges. (report)
  45. Septmeber 14: Israel Gervacio Velavquez, 35, died at UAB Hospital after being shot on the 1500 block of Bessemer Road following a fight at Club Tijuana. No arrest. (report)

Responses

The murder of K. D. Hardy, a well-known motivational speaker who had turned away from crime, prompted the Birmingham City Council to pass a resolution of condolence, and for Councilman Jay Roberson to promise that, "[w]e're going to find out who did this senseless act to Kerry and we're going to make sure that justice is served."

The spate of homicides occurring over the Labor Day weekend and following days alarmed residents and some city officials.

See also

References

  • Robinson, Carol (March 7, 2014) "3 for 3: All of Birmingham's 2014 slayings ruled justifiable." The Birmingham News
  • Bryant, Joseph D. (May 6, 2014) "Dismay, sadness outrage: Birmingham Council mourns violent death of motivational speaker." The Birmingham News
  • Robinson, Carol (July 17, 2014) "Safer city? Birmingham on track to end year with fewest murders since 1950s." The Birmingham News
  • Robinson, Carol (September 2, 2014) "Birmingham police chief says homicide numbers still down for year despite 'horrific holiday weekend'." The Birmingham News
  • Garrison, Greg (September 8, 2014) "Is Birmingham really dangerous? Sociologists who study urban crime say perception battles reality." The Birmingham News
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