2004 Birmingham homicides

This is a List of Birmingham homicides in 2004. It includes homicide cases occuring within the city limits during the calendar year. Note that not all homicides are ultimately ruled to be murder in courts of law.

Birmingham had 64 homicides in 2004, down from 85 in 2003, and a record of 141 in 1992.

Listing by date

1. January 1: Jerome Warner, 31, died of stab wounds to his torso at 4300 41st Avenue North in Inglenook

2. January 9: Marlene Jason, 58, a lunchroom cashier at Mountain Brook Middle School, was found shot at her home in Center Point. Montez Spradley was convicted on February 29, 2008 and sentenced to death in the courtroom of Gloria Bahakel. He also received a 20-year sentence for intimidating a witness in the case. [1]

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4. January 20: Carlos Mallory, 20, shot in a drive-by shooting at 2500 35th Avenue North in North Birmingham. He was shot minutes after breaking up a fight between high school students. Nkosi Dubose, Sr was convicted in 2005 and sentenced to life without parole. [2]

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6. February 2. Ishmael Crawford, 44, found dead of gunshot wounds at 1407 12th Court North in Fountain Heights

7. February 7. Hugh Harris, 55, found dead of gunshot wounds at 1600 Alemeda Avenue SW in West End

8. February 16. John Robert Lee, 24, found dead in his car at 7th Avenue South and Antwerp Avenue in Woodlawn

9. February 29. Derrick Terry, 20, found dead of gunshot wounds to his torso at 2517 16th Street North in Acipco-Finley

10. March 1. Ashanti Hobson, 3 months, died of child abuse by parents three days after being admitted to Children's Hospital

11. March 6. Lorenzo Robinson, 35, found dead of stab at 3100 Avenue F in Ensley

12. March 20. Kenny Ray McGee, 52, body was discovered behind Wenonah High School at 2710 31st Street SW in Wenonah

13. April 1. Valerie Armstrong Welch, 40, found dead of multiple stab wounds to her upper torso at her home along Terrace M in Ensley

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15. April 26: Norman Demetrius "Meachi" Blount, 21, found dead of multiple gunshot wounds along Madison Avenue SW in Five Points West

16. May 12: Cedric McDowell, 39, dead of a single gunshot wound to his chest in at 5100 1st Avenue North in Woodlawn

17. May 17: Frederick Harris, 54, dead of multiple gunshot wounds in Pratt City

18. May 24: Wayne Mauldin, 56, gunned down in the front yard at his home along 60th Street South in Woodlawn

19. May 25: Angele Marie Jackson, 38, dead of multiple gunshot wounds at her home along in Pratt City

20. June 2: Warees T. Nu-man, 26, dead from shot in the back in Ensley

21. June 9: Anthony Kelly, 38, dead from gunshot wounds at his home along Steiner Avenue SW in West End

22. June 17: Birmingham Police Officer Carlos Owens was killed in an ambush at 18th Street and Avenue P Ensley. Kerry Spencer, identified as the shooter, and accomplice Nathaniel L. Wood were each convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death by Circuit Judge Tommy Nall.

23. June 17: Birmingham Police Officer [Harley Chisholm]], 35, was killed in an ambush at 18th Street and Avenue P Ensley. Kerry Spencer, identified as the shooter, and accomplice Nathaniel L. Wood were each convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death by Circuit Judge Tommy Nall.

24. June 17: Birmingham Police Officer Charles Robert Bennett, 31, was killed in an ambush at 18th Street and Avenue P Ensley. Kerry Spencer, identified as the shooter, and accomplice Nathaniel L. Wood were each convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death by Circuit Judge Tommy Nall.

25. July 8: Enoch Williams, 32, dead of multiple gunshot wounds at her home along in Pratt City

26. July 13: Tyesha Daniels, 25, found dead of multiple gunshot wounds at home on 4th Court West

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52. October 4: Sheila Miles shot at home. Jacolby Cooper and Dennis Johnson charged with capital murder. [3]

53. October 20: Francine Franklin, 28, dead of multiple stab wounds by her husband Ensley

54. October 23: Jason Matthew "Smiley" Embry, 29, was shot during a mugging. He flagged down a motorist on Springville Road who dropped him off at Parkway Dodge at 9820 Parkway East. Rescue workers picked him up there and took him to UAB Hospital, where he died from his wounds. The case remains unsolved.

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57. November 3: Tavaris Cottrell, 17, shot in chest on alley behind Tuscaloosa Avenue. Antonio Jackson, Jr convicted of murder on April 20, 2006 and sentenced to life. [4]

58. November 26. Jasmine Archie, 12, dead of suffocation by her mother at 1108 Huron Street in Wylam

59. November 27. Fred Washington, 26, gunned down while inside his car a 224 12th Street West in West End

60. November 28. Eric Coston, 31, dead of gunshot wounds at 2200 22nd Street North in Druid Hills

61. December 8. Derrick Deneal Wynn, 24, dead of gunshot wounds in the 900 block of 52nd Way in Woodlawn

62. December 14. Joe Mack Carpenter, 50, dead of multiple gunshot wounds at Larkway Gardens on Madison Avenue SW in Wenonnah

63. December 22. Willie Anthony Jennings, 22, (a cousin of Tavaris Cottrell, victim #57) was shot multiple times at the corner of 57th Street Ensley and Avenue P in Central Park. He was chased there by four assailants after a confrontation at Western Hills Mall. Ronnie M. Ball was identified as the shooter, convicted of murder, and subsequently sentenced to life in prison. Accomplice Antonio Jackson, Jr, then free on bond after being charged in Cottrell's murder, was convicted and given a second life sentence without parole. Efferman Zymblis Moore was also convicted and sentenced to life. His brother, Darold Raymond Moore, pleaded guilty and testified against Ball. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. [5]

64. December 30. Searcy Owens, 35, dead of gunshot wounds to the torso at the Private Stock Club located at 1813 Avenue C in Ensley

Responses

The participation of Antonio Jackson, Jr in the murder of Willie Jennings while he was free on bond in another homicide case prompted Jennings' mother, Dorothy Delemus, to lobby for a law requiring $500,000 as the minimum bond in capital murder cases. A bill was introduced into the Alabama legislature in 2007, but was not passed.

References

• Birmingham News Digital Archives [6]
• Velasco, Eric T. (June 3, 2008) "Birmingham man sentenced to 20 years in 2004 killing." Birmingham News