2005 Birmingham homicides

This is a List of Birmingham homicides in 2005. 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 105 homicides in 2005, compared to 64 in 2004, and a record of 141 in 1994. The 2005 homicide rate for the city of Birmingham, based on the 2005 census estimate of 231,483 population, was 45.4 homicides per 100,000 population per year.

Of the 105 recorded homicides, suspects were reported identified in __ cases, and apprehended in 62. During the first six months of 2005 there were 38 homicides reported, compared with 24 for the same period in 2004. Of those, 4 were reported in the South Precinct, 9 in the North Precinct, 4 in the East Precinct, and 21 in the West Precinct.

Listing by date

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. January 16. Justin Campbell, 20, shot during robbery of Radio Shack at 1141 Huffman Road in Huffman. 9. 10. 11. 12. __. February 14. David Alcantara, 30, found dead of gunshot wound in home at 5417 5th Avenue South in Woodlawn. 14. February 24. Vincent Webster, 27, found dead of gunshot wound in car on 3300 block of Laurel Avenue. 15. February 27. Kyle Kuykendall, 32, found unconcscious from head injury near ATM on 2800 block of 7th Avenue South in Southside, on February 26. Died in hospital. __. April 17. Morris Nixon, 23, found dead from gunshot wound on 3000 block of 32nd Street North in Norwood. __. April 20. Louis Calvin Cook, 23, found dead from gunshot wound in car on 1500 block of Bush Boulevard. __. June 14. Frances Craig, 35, shot in home at 1232 Bush Circle. __. __. June 28: Franchesta Morrow, 15, hit by gunfire meant for her brother at her apartment at 1228 Tuscaloosa Avenue Southwest. __. July 7: Alexis Terry, 26, died of gunshot wound after shooting at Liberty Gas Sation at 900 20th Street Ensley. __. July 7: Willie Tate, Jr, 25, died of gunshot wound after shooting at Liberty Gas Sation at 900 20th Street Ensley. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. July 17: Tanelsa Ford, 35, found in woods in 1600 block of 9th Avenue North. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. August 16: Man shot by his 70-year-old brother-in-law on 2200 block of 33rd Avenue North. 56. August 16: Man stabbed in argument with neighbor at 120 16th Avenue North. 57. August 17: Man shot in 6600 block of Court M near Brighton Road. 58. August 17: Arthur Jemison, 44, shot when robbed of truck in 1200 block of 67th Street in the Green Acres neighborhood. 59. August 17: Damion Smith, 25, shot in car on Avenue W in Pratt City. 60. August 18: Joel Payten, 19, shot multiple times during fight on 5900 block of 1st Avenue South in Woodlawn. 61: August 19: Woman shot during fight with another woman outside restaurant on 3rd Avenue West at Arkadelphia Road. 62: August 24: Man shot to death at 2524 29th Street Ensley 63: August 24: Robert Weaver, 70, owner of the 19th Street Laundromat, shot during robbery of his store on June 24, died of wounds on August 24. 64. August 27: Lakeisha Henderson, 33, found shot at 1021 Cahaba Street. 65. August 27: Derrick Jackson, 17, shot at McAlpine Recreation Center. 66. August 29: Steven Huff, 41, shot at Pit Stop in 2000 block of 21st Street Ensley. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. November 24. Kim Olney, 28, desk clerk shot during robbery of Airport Inn on Messer-Airport Highway 93. November 24. John Aylesworth, 42 (a truck driver from Texas) shot during robbery of Airport Inn on Messer-Airport Highway 94. November 24. Dorothy Smith, 58 (from Queens) shot during robbery of Airport Inn on Messer-Airport Highway 95. November 27. Man found shot in a vacant home at 7016 1st Avenue South that was burned in an arson. 96. 97. November 30. Terry Landers, 51, killed by blow during robbery at 805 37th Place North. 98. December 1. Michael Turner, 21, found dead by gunshot at 1508 13th Avenue North. 99. December 7. Nathan Campbell, 17, shot during argument at gas station on 2000 block of Avenue I Ensley in the Tuxedo community. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. December 28. Decomposed body of woman found by work crew near Lyons Lane and Frankfurt Drive in the Oxmoor area.

Responses

During the particularly bloody month of August, City Councilor Bert Miller called for "8 days without violence". The city's 62nd murder was reported less than twelve hours after Miller's plea. Police Chief Annetta Nunn urged citizens to avoid drug environments and to practice conflict resolution in domestic disputes, two of the leading correlates in homicide cases.

In October, the North Alabama U. S. Attorney's office announced the "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" program, aimed at informing the public that purchasing a gun for someone who cannot legally do so is a federal crime carrying a 10-year-prison sentance. Broadcast PSA's and truck-mounted billboards carried the message throughout North Alabama.

On January 14, 2006, largely as a response to the high number of homicides in 2005, and continuing through New Years', the City of Birmingham unveiled a "Ceasefire Initiative", planned to promote members of the community to get involved in reducing violent crime. Anti-Crime summits were planned in each Council District and materials featuring the Ceasefire logo are being distributed to promote awareness.

References

• Robinson, Carol (August 9, 2005) "Birmingham murder rate up 60% so far in '05". Birmingham News.