List of homicides in 2006

This is a List of Jefferson County homicides in 2006. A total of 151 homicides were reported within the county during 2006. 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 prosecutors.

The homicide rate for Jefferson County, based on the 2005 census estimate of 657,229 population, was 21.8 homicides per 100,000 population for the year. The county had 143 homicides in 2005. Jefferson County averaged 12.6 homicides per month, or one every 2.55 days. Neighboring Shelby County had 4 homicides reported in 2006.

Listing

Birmingham

• 109 homicides (list)

Unincorporated Jefferson County

• 16 homicides
  • April 5: William Bevis, a crossing guard, was hit and killed by a car while directing traffic at Chalkville Elementary School. Kimberly Humphrey, 26, was arrested in Cedar Groves, Florida on April 19, 2007 on an outstanding warrant issued by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. [1]
  • August 25: Linda Morgan, 59, a retired Jefferson County Sheriff's Office secretary, was found beaten to death in her home on the 4800 block of Bob Brill Road in McCalla. Three days earlier deputies responded to a call of a prowler at her home. Jason Rucker, then 27, who was present when they arrived, but was not apprehended. Prosecutors claimed he remained there, killed Morgan and stole prescription medications and credit cards from her home. He was charged with capital murder and convicted after more than a day of deliberations in the court of Teresa Petelos. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. [2]
  • October 13: Alfred McKinney, 29, shot during a robbery in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 1000 block of Florentine Circle in Huffman. Jamari Lewis and Matthew Coleman, both 17, have been charged with capital murder. A 15-year-old girl has also been charged as an accomplice. [3]

Bessemer

• 11 homicides
  • January: Tasha Brown, 26, shot multiple times and dumped at a convenience store on 9th Avenue. Courtney Townsend and Melvin Lloyd were arrested and charged. Townsend was found not-guilty in September 2007 and Lloyd's charges are likely to be dropped. [4]
  • August 21: Linda Morgan, 60, found dead in home on Bob Brill Road. A $5,000 reward has been offered by the Governor's office for information leading to a conviction. [5]
  • October: Derrick Harris killed in a gunfight at the Cutting Edge Barbershop in the 2300 block of 9th Avenue. Jere Cadell was convicted of murder. [6]
  • November 27: Ruben Benegas, 28, shot on 1300 block of 24th Street North after a drug dispute. Milton Durrell Watts charged with murder. [7]

Gardendale

• March 4: Alisha Marie Stevens, beaten to death with a metal pipe while baby-sitting two children at her home. The attack was apparently the result of an argument over a drug purchase. Robert John Burke was charged with capital murder, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter before going to trial. He was sentenced by Judge Gloria Bahakel in April 2008 to 10 years in prison, of which he must serve 2 years (dating back to his May 2006 arrest) [8]

Hueytown

• 3 homicides

Hoover

• 2 homicides
  • March: Esteban Mendoza was shot during a robbery outside the Mountain View Apartments. Gregory Bester, Terry Lewis and Gregory Jones pleaded guitly to murder. Deangelo Harris was charged with capital murder and is set for trial in February 2008. [9]
  • November 2: Sirrea Black, 20, was found in the trunk of her car behind an abandoned Food World in Bessemer. Justin Matthew White, 19, was arrested and charged. According to investigators he strangled and raped Black in Hoover on Halloween night. He was convicted of capital murder in February 2008 and sentenced to life without parole. [10]

Fairfield

• 1 homicide
  • October 23: Fairfield police officer Mary Smith was shot in the chest while detaining two suspects. Fellow officer Erick Burpo arrived at the scene soon afterwards and was also wounded by gunfire. Demetrius Jackson, Jr was convicted of capital murder and attempted murder and sentenced to death. [11]

Fultondale

• 1 homicide

Irondale

• 1 homicide
  • September: Terry Smith, Sr, 53, shot at his home in the Lola City community, Acquaintance Bryan Overton, 36, of Leeds was charged with the murder.

Pinson

• 2 homicides
  • September 11: Avis Obermeyer, 83, was stabbed 22 times and had her fingers cut off during a robbery at her trailer in the Northgate Mobile Home Estates. Her former neighbors, James Leonard Walker and Andrea Marie Smith were charged with capital murder. Smith pleaded guilty in December 2008. [12]
  • November 3: Deana Page was shot 15 times in her pickup truck. Rita Hinkle, her former domestic partner, was convicted of capital murder on December 13, 2007 and sentenced to life without parole. [13]

Tarrant

• 1 homicide

West Jefferson Prison

• 1 homicide

References

• Robinson, Carol (January 1, 2007) "Birmingham homicides up." Birmingham News.

External links

• 2006 Birmingham Homicide Map at wiat.com