List of homicides in 2021

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This is a List of homicides in 2021, including homicide cases reported throughout the Birmingham District. At least 305 homicides were reported in the area for the year. Note that a "homicide" refers to the cause of death as determined by a medical examiner, not to the crime of murder as charged by prosecutors and adjudicated through the courts.

Bibb County

  1. October 7: Travis Hutchins, 34, an inmate at the Bibb Correctional Facility, was killed in an assault. No arrest. (report)
  2. October 12: An unidentified male was found shot to death in the parking lot of Camp Branch Baptist Church on Camp Branch Road east of Woodstock. The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation. No arrest. (report)

Blount County

  1. May 8: Devon Durante, 25, was shot to death in Warrior. His death was initially reported as a self-inflicted accidental shooting. Investigators later determined that Deanna Jones had killed him and charged her with murder. (report)
  2. November 21: Sharon Teal Askew, 53, was shot to death at her home at 72 Moorer Lane in Oneonta. Her husband, Bryan Craig Fox, was arrested and charged with murder. He was convicted at trial in September 2023 and sentenced by Judge Greg Reid to life in prison with the possibility of parole. (report)

Calhoun County

  1. January 11: An unnamed male was found dead at the Empowerment Center on East Broad Street in Gadsden. His girlfriend was kidnapped at the scene and forced to drive to a gas station near the intersection of U.S. Highway 431 and Alabama State Highway 204 where she escaped. Terry Leon Moore was captured by police and charged with murder. (report)
  2. March 25: Colten Farley, 23, died at UAB Hospital four days after losing consciousness during an assault on Noble Street in Anniston. No arrest. (report)
  3. June: Brad Burt Doleys, 50, died at UAB Hospital from gunshot injuries suffered in an apparent road-rage incident near the intersection of East Meighan Boulevard and Hood Avenue on June 22. Joseph Edward Burnett was arrested at the scene and charged with capital murder. (report)
  4. August 8: Antonio D. Williams, 38, died at Northeast Alabama Regional Medical from a gunshot wound suffered following a physical altercation at the Constantine Apartments at 316 Elm Street in Anniston. No arrest. (report)
  5. August 18: Maurice M. McCauley, 33, was pronounced dead at Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center from a gunshot wound suffered on the 1800 block of Moore Avenue in Anniston. Two others were injured. Cedrick Lamon Woolverton and Angelo Terry Smith were arrested in 2023 and charged with murder. (report)

Chilton County

  1. May 31: Roger Dale Keller, 71, was shot to death in an exchange with Jemison Police responding to a call at a house on Chilton County Road 954. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the police shooting. (report)
  2. July 29: Gabriel Alonzo Rios Jr, 24, was found with two others in a burned vehicle on a private logging road accessed from Chilton County Road 969, off of Alabama State Highway 155 between Calera and Jemison. The victims were from the Nashville metropolitan area and had reportedly traveled to Alabama for a job. Noel Garcia Esquivel and Abraham Pena Perez, residents of Shelby County suspected of being involved in drug trafficking, were arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  3. July 29: Gilberto Munoz Cabrera, 27, was found dead in the same vehicle.
  4. July 29: Javier Quintero Gonzalez, 36, was found dead in the same vehicle.

Coosa County

  1. June 5: Marcaus Odem, 43, was killed in a hit-and-run while walking along U.S. Highway 280 near mile marker 52, northwest of Goodwater. No arrest. (report)

Cullman County

  1. January 27: Tammy McClellan, 50, was shot to death at her home on the 3200 block of Cullman County Road 5 in Arkadelphia. Her husband, Thomas Leon McClellan, was convicted of murder in April 2023 and sentenced by Judge Greg Nicholas to 99 years in prison. (report)
  2. February 12: Ollie Earl Justice Jr, 74, of Mobile, was killed while apparently attempting to rob an acquaintance in Holly Pond. The other man was also seriously injured by gunshot. No charges have been filed. (report)
  3. August 6: Nathan Larry Parsons, 49, was killed in an officer-involved shooting at the Good Hope Campground during an action by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations' Drug Enforcement Task Force. (report)

Etowah County

  1. September 3: Charley Terrell, 26, was found shot to death along with a female victim at a house in east Gadsden. No arrest. (report)
  2. September 3: Allison Harris, 26, was found shot to death at the same house.
  3. October 3: An unnamed victim was shot to death in a domestic dispute at a home on the 2800 block of Waters Avenue in Gadsden. Julie McCoy Riddle Black was arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  4. October 4: Aydah DiMaso, 3, was beaten to death at her home on Crestview Drive in Gadsden. Her father, Nikilis DiMaso, pleaded guilty to capital murder and conspiracy to commit child abuse in June 2024, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Her stepmother, Haley Dee Metz, was charged with aggravated child abuse and conspiracy to commit aggravated child abuse. Member of her family have also filed a civil lawsuit against the Alabama Department of Human Resources (report)
  5. October 29: Lauri Mahan, 34, was shot to death on the 1100 block of Tuscaloosa Avenue in Gadsden. A suspect was taken into custody at the scene, but no charges have been announced. (report)

Jefferson County

237 total

Adamsville

  1. July 25: Nakeshia Biggs-Lowe, 41, was shot to death during domestic incident at her home on Crestview Drive. Her husband, Kelvin Lowe, was taken into custody at the scene and charged with murder. (report)

Bessemer

  1. January 12: Zachery B. Brown Jr, 67, died at UAB Hospital from a gunshot wound suffered while he was pulling away from the Hello Market at 2729 12th Avenue North. No arrest. (report)
  2. January 27: Mikel Ja'Darius Pickens, 19, died at UAB Hospital from a gunshot wound suffered while in a vehicle near the Urban Market grocery store at 200 9th Street South. No arrest. (report)
  3. January 30: Kamari Whitt, 5 months, died at Children's Hospital from head injuries sustained three days earlier at his father's home on the 300 block of West Lake Circle. The father, Quinton Artez Arnold, was charged initially with aggravated child abuse. The charge was later changed to capital murder (report)
  4. March 3: Shaquille O’Neil Steele, 27, was found shot to death inside a vehicle at the Cloverdale Garden Apartments on Clarendon Avenue. Antaysha Marsha Wyatt was arrested and charged with capital murder. Her boyfriend, Darryius Eugene Tompkins Jr, was arrested in June and also charged with capital murder. (report)
  5. March 4: Carlos Dewayne Wells Jr, 21, was found shot to death on the porch of a home on the 2100 block of Berkley Avenue. Another person was wounded by gunshot in a related incident. Deundre Marcel Mosley was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. (report)
  6. March 10: Cory Lamont Peterson, 35, was shot to death inside the Red Roof Inn & Suites at 4985 Academy Court. Two others were injured by gunshot in the same incident. Benjamin Williams was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. (report)
  7. March 11: Andrew James Minter, 49, was found shot to death near a broken utility pole at the intersection of 10th Avenue and 25th Street North. No arrest. (report)
  8. March 16: Chase Debore Green, 20, was found shot to death in a vehicle on the 1500 block of Berkley Alley. A juvenile male suspect was arrested and charged with murder. The same person is also charged with the May 2020 murder of Michael Jones, also in Bessemer. (report)
  9. March 16: Saveon Th'Marcus Washington, 20, was found shot to death on the 1800 block of Long 14th Street. Glenn'Darrius Robinson was charged with murder and surrendered to police. (report)
  10. March 25: Jeremy Dejuan Williamson, 34, was found shot to death on a driveway on the 1200 block of 15th Street North. A person of interest was questioned, but no arrests have been announced. (report)
  11. April 3: Demario Lawrence Kirkland, 31, was killed on the 100 block of 10th Street South Bessemer. Allen Jones was arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  12. April 4: Kendrick Felix Morrisette, 27, and another woman were shot to death during a gathering at a home on the 80 block of 1st Avenue North Bessemer. Investigators determined that the shootings were justifiable, and filed no criminal charges. (report)
  13. April 4: Kamisha Malea Davis, 27, died from gunshot wounds suffered in the same incident.
  14. April 10: Orlando Keith Williams Jr, 18, was shot to death while gambling with a group in a 2nd floor room at the Comfort Inn Bessemer on Academy Lane. John Christopher Taylor-Wilson, Tyriq McCall, and two minors were arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  15. April 14: Holly Jo Dunn, 35, was fatally injured when she was struck by a vehicle while walking on the 1100 block of 9th Avenue Southwest. Nicollette Amber Clinkscales was arrested and charged with reckless manslaughter, and for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries when she fled on foot. She was determined to have been under the influence of alcohol. (report)
  16. April 15: Joanne "LaShay" Jackson, 21, was shot to death during a reported dispute with her ex-boyfriend at her home on the 2800 block of Carolina Terrace. De'Anthius Jacobien Edwards pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced by Judge David Carpenter to serve 18 years in prison. (report)
  17. April 17: Sean Coker, 46, of Georgia, was found dead of blunt force trauma in a room at the Quality Inn Bessemer at 5021 Academy Lane. Adrianna Stephen and Isiah Atkins were arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  18. April 18: Deterrious Kieth-Bernerd Steele, 21, was found shot to death at Enoch Brown Park at 2100 Berkeley Avenue. No arrest. (report)
  19. April 20: Keaderick Terrod Robertson, 21, was shot to death while driving on the 1000 block of 26th Street. A suspect was taken into custody and later charged. (report)
  20. April 25: Christopher Kasean "OG Chris" Jackson, 21, died from a gunshot suffered at the Bessemer Stop N Go convenience store at 2805 Dartmouth Avenue. Nar'Darrius Anton Christian was arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  21. April 26: Shunquesha Dale Patton, 24, was shot to death during a reported domestic argument on the 200 block of 7th Street South. Her boyfriend, James Anthony Davis, was arrested and charged with capital murder. (report)
  22. June 1: Eric De'Corrius Jones, 22, was shot to death while visiting his girlfriend in a unit at the Hillside Homes at the corner of Fairfax Avenue and 35th Street South. Tamadre Dandre Williams, the woman's ex-boyfriend, was arrested and charged with murder and reckless endangerment. (report)
  23. August 17: Acorian "Bud" King, 17, was killed in a shootout at the Bessemer Stop N Go at 2805 Dartmouth Avenue. Antwan Jermaine Bonner, a relative of King's, has been charged with murder for starting the altercation even though he did not fire any shots. The teenager suspected of shooting first was charged with murder, attempted murder and first-degree assault. The man believed to have shot King and wounded another person is presumed to have fired in self-defense and has not been charged. (report)
  24. September 9: Patrick Todd Jackson, 58, was struck and killed while working on a paving crew on I-59 near mile marker 111. Charles Brian Hogg was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and reckless murder. (report)
  25. September 24: Alverner "Shabo" Blanks, 76, died at an assisted living facility from injuries sustained when he was beaten with a space heater at his home on the 2300 block of block of Holbrook Terrace after an argument over money. His former neighbor, Monyuett Catrice Hinson, was arrested and charged with capital murder. (report)
  26. October 9: Kealand Amad Pickens, 27, died at UAB Hospital from gunshot wounds suffered during an argument at a gathering to watch a football game. Emanuel Tolbert III was arrested and charged with murder. His prosecution before Judge David Carpenter in October 2024 resulted in a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury. (report)
  27. November 12: Dominique Louvert Giles, 33, was found shot to death near the intersection of Bessemer Super Highway and 32nd Street. Bradley Nykee Woods was arrested and charged with capital murder and robbery. (report)
  28. November 28: Emmit King, 62, a former Olympic sprinter, died at UAB Medical West from a gunshot injury suffered in a shootout that arose from a verbal argument with an acquaintance on the 800 block of 22nd Street North Bessemer. The suspected shooter died at the scene. (report)
  29. November 28: Willie Albert Wells, 60, was killed in the same incident.
  30. December 9: Leremus Karzell Oden, 41, was shot to death during a domestic dispute at his home on the 500 block of 12th Street North. A suspect was taken into custody at the scene and later charged. (report)
  31. December 30: Michael Charles Richard, 46, an urban explorer under the name "AloneInTheDark", was found shot to death in a car parked outside the vacant former Knights Inn motel at 1121 9th Avenue Southwest. $10,000 in rewards have been offered for information leading to an arrest. (report)

Birmingham

143 homicides. See List of Birmingham homicides in 2021 for details.

Brighton

  1. February 7: Luis Valla-Caranza, 23, was shot to death at 4330 Bessemer Super Highway. No arrest. (report)
  2. May 5: Cameron Terrell Smith, 35, was shot to death, and a woman injured by gunfire, in a drive-by on 8th Avenue Brighton. No arrest. (report)
  3. November 7: MaDarius Devaughn Warren, 24, was shot to death at a home on the 5300 block of Huntsville Avenue. A suspect has been charged. (report)

Center Point

  1. February 4: Camari DeVaughn Tyus, 17, was shot to death during a family gathering in a house on the 300 block of 19th Court Northeast. Curtis Williams was arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  2. May 13: Leroy Riles Jr, 46, was killed in a hit-and-run collision on the 2400 block of Center Point Parkway. The suspect vehicle, a white Honda Accord, was recovered at the Monarch Ridge Apartments. The suspect driver has not been identified and remains at large. (report)
  3. September 12: Maurice Dewayne Carter, 31, died at UAB Hospital from gunshot wounds suffered at a home on the 200 block of 18th Avenue Northwest. Investigators determined that he had come to the house to argue over a broken necklace and had raised a gun. The shooting was found to be justified and no charges were filed. (report)
  4. November 7: Walter Hilliard Gibson III, 39, was pronounced dead at Ascension St Vincent’s East from stab wounds suffered during a domestic argument at a residence in the Charter East Apartments on 15th Terrace Northeast. Kameisha Monique Johnson was arrested at the scene and charged with murder. (report)
  5. November 19: Cornelius C. Blake, 42, was shot to death and two others injured in a shooting in a home on the 2300 block of 5th Street Northwest. A suspect has been charged with his death. (report)

Fairfield

  1. February 27: Montez Undra Tolbert Jr, 25, was one of two men killed in a traffic collision on I-59 southbound near mile marker 118. Both victims were passengers in a Chevrolet Cobalt being driven by Timberland Kinte Laster. Investigators determined that Laster was driving recklessly and was under the influence of alcohol and/or THC. He pleaded guilty to two counts of murder before Judge Thomas Thrash in March 2024 and was given a split 20-year sentence with a minimum of 5 years to serve, and 5 years of probation. (report)
  2. February 27: Bishop Jones, 23, was killed in the same incident.
  3. April 27: DeAngelo Dwayne Poole, 24, was shot to death and four others were wounded in a drive-by assault at Glen Oaks Park on the 200 block of Glen Crest Drive in the Glen Oaks neighborhood. No arrest. (report)
  4. May 6: Desi Montell Carter, 25, was shot to death by a passenger in his car at the Quick Stop at 900 Milstead Road at Woodward Road. The shooter, Travec Brandon Ard, fled on foot. He was arrested later that evening and charged with capital murder. Ard, who had pleaded guilty to the [murder] of Brandon Rosario in February, pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. (report)
  5. May 9: Douglas MacArthur Crenshaw, 31, died from a gunshot wound suffered in a vehicle-to-vehicle assault from a white Toyota 4Runner at 311 Valley Road. No arrest. (report)
  6. June 16: Jon Paul Matthew Kimber, 27, was found dead outside of Payless Drugs at 4901 Gary Avenue. Joydan Ja’Niece Blackwell is believed to have attempted to rob Kimber, with whom she was acquainted, along with a group of accomplices, and to have subsequently stolen his car. She was arrested and charged with capital murder. She pleaded guilty to felony murder in June 2024 and was sentenced by Judge David Carpente to 30 years in prison. Da'Marcus Gilliam was arrested on June 23 and also charged with capital murder. (report)
  7. July 7: Jameal Baldwin, 16, was found shot to death near a vacant house after a shootout on the 400 block of 62nd Street. No arrest. (report)
  8. July 19: Kevin Keith King Jr, 33, was found shot to death next to the Fairfield Package Store at 3620 Lloyd Noland Parkway. No arrest. (report)
  9. August 4: Justin Jawann King, 31, died at Princeton Baptist Medical Center from gunshot wounds suffered on the 400 block of 57th Street. Another male was injured in the shooting. No arrest. (report)
  10. August 26: Corey Dewayne Waters, 44, was shot to death in the front yard of a house on the 500 block of 42nd Street. His brother, Arthur Lee Thomas Jr was arrested in September and charged with capital murder. (report)
  11. September 16: Ladiamonique Esta Zaire-Simmons, 27, was shot to death during a family dispute at a home on the 500 block of Osceola Circle. The shooter, Cliven Milton, was the homeowner, and husband to Zaire-Simmons' cousin. He reported the incident and cooperated with investigators, but was indicted by a grand jury in 2022 on a charge of intentional murder. That charge was dismissed in March 2024 by Judge David Carpenter following a "Stand Your Ground" hearing.

(report)

  1. October 18: Antwaun Demaun Horn, 18, died at UAB Medical West from gunshot wounds suffered behind a store on the 300 block of Valley Road. No arrest. (report)
  2. November 27: Tevin Jermell Carlson Jones, 27, died at UAB Hospital from gunshot wounds suffered during a domestic disturbance on the 600 block of 55th Place. A female suspect remained on the scene and was questioned by police. Potential criminal charges will be left to a grand jury. (report)

Fultondale

  1. July 4: Alejandro "Alex" Hernandez Garcia, 55, was shot to death during a home invasion on the 1000 block of Bayberry Lane in the One Hundred Oaks mobile home community. His wife and children were home, but not injured. Three masked suspects fled in silver Dodge Charger. Shikeem Kinniebrew was arrested and charged with capital murder, 6 counts of 1st-degree robbery and 6 counts of 2nd-degree kidnapping. he is also charged with attempting to elude, carrying a pistol without a permit, possession of marijuana and three counts of reckless endangerment following a police chase in Homewood immediately after the shooting. He was indicted for those charges by a grand jury in December. Another suspect, Kenneth Wayne Watts, was indicted in April 2022 for capital murder during a burglary and capital murder during a robbery. (report)

Graysville

  1. May 13: Jeremy Joseph Sehhat, 40, was shot to death on the 5900 block of Old Jasper Highway. Timothy James Hogland was identified by a witness as the shooter. He was traced to a trailer home in Hayden on May 18, but fled from there in a Honda CRV. He was pursued to the intersection of Alabama State Highway 160 and Skyline Drive off I-65 Exit 284 in Blount County. Hogland rammed a Blount County Sheriff's Office deputy's vehicle, then bailed from the CRV and attempted to carjack a female motorist. He reportedly fired at police before he was shot by law enforcement. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Alabama State Troopers, Graysville police, Adamsville police, Warrior police, and the Blount County Sheriff's Office were all involved in the pursuit. The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the officer-involved shooting. (report)

Homewood

  1. April 23: Anthony David Decola, 33, was shot to death outside the door of a 3rd floor room at the Motel 6 on Vulcan Road. A suspect, Devonta Jamal Ephraim, was taken into custody after a brief foot chase. He was charged with murder. (report)
  2. April 26: Robyn Naftel Herring, 42, was killed in a head-on collision with a Nissan Juke on Lakeshore Parkway near I-65. The driver of the Nissan was fleeing from a police stop and driving on the wrong side of the parkway when he struck the victim's Jeep Wrangler. He abandoned the car and fled into the woods. Three passengers in the Jeep, a man and two children, were not seriously hurt. Jordan Marktice Ricks was taken into custody in Tuscaloosa. He was indicted on a charge of reckless murder by a grand jury in September. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter, as well as to attempting to elude and obstruction of justice, with a 17-year sentence. (report)
  3. June 1: Patrick Lane Jones, 47, was shot to death in a room at the La Quinta Inn & Suites on State Farm Parkway. Brandi Nicole Parrish was taken into custody at the scene and charged with 2nd degree murder. She was indicted on that charge in November 2021. (report)
  4. June 26: Joshua Amazia Griffin, 7 months, died from blunt-force trauma and pneumonia at his home on the 1600 block of Lakeshore Court. The coroner ruled his death a homicide, but the District Attorney's office did not pursue criminal charges. (report)
  5. September 10: Johnnie Will Anderson III, 30, was found dead in a residence at The Park at Buckingham Apartments apartments on Aspen Circle. Investigators determined he had been strangled to death with a necktie several days before. Alexandria Nicole Davis was arrested in Hoover and charged with murder. She was indicted on a capital murder charge by a grand jury in February 2022. A necktie and a dog leash held as evidence by Homewood Police Department were mistakenly thrown out. Davis' attorneys, Paul Rand and Sammie Shaw petitioned Judge Alaric May for the capital murder charge to be dismissed. Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Jessica Hebson countered that the state's case could proceed with other evidence. May denied the defense's request. (report)

Hoover

  1. January 22: Kristopher Michael Shelly Jr died at UAB Hospital from a gunshot wound to the head suffered in a car outside the 1200 building at The Woods of Hoover off of Galleria Woods Drive. Kendall Patrick Langham was arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  2. March 11: Holly Elizabeth Montana, 51, was found shot to death at her home on the 4500 block of Highland Crest Circle near Shades Mountain Community Park. Her husband had been found previously, dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, at another address. She had filed for divorce in January. (report)

Irondale

  1. April 29: Dewarren Lovell Gibson, 21, died at UAB Hospital from a gunshot wound suffered three days earlier in an assault at the Hunter Ridge Apartments at 4400 Hunter Ridge Way. Allen Corde Armer was arrested and charged with murder. (report)

Leeds

  1. March 30: Melvin Jamyl Williams, 44, was shot to death in an altercation with his father on the 8400 block of Ciscero Davis Avenue (formerly Railroad Avenue Northeast) in downtown Leeds. The shooting may have been in self-defense. (report)
  2. December 15: Mark Lyle Miller, 59, was struck and killed by a motor vehicle while riding a bicycle on Bankhead Highway (U.S. Highway 78), westbound between West Riverview Road and Floyd Bradford Road. Amber Green was arrested in Pell City and charged with criminally negligent homicide and leaving the scene of an accident. She pleaded guilty to those charges before Judge Michael Streety in October 2023 and was sentenced to five years in prison. (report)

Lipscomb

  1. April 3: Joshua Scott II, 50, was killed in an apparent hit-and-run while he was walking on 5th Avenue Lipscomb. No arrest. A 2002–2004 Nissan Maxima with front end damage is sought. (report)
  2. November 12: Nicholas Marquise Cunningham, 34, was found shot to death at Woodward Estates. (report)

Midfield

  1. April 8: Kenneth Glavin Adams Jr, 49, was found shot to death behind the wheel of a Honda Accord that came to a stop on Allison-Bonnett Memorial Drive near Fairfield Boulevard. No arrest. (report)
  2. May 17: Sherman Edward Cornette, 68, was found shot to death at the front door of a home on the 100 block of Creel Street. The homeowner, Marquis Jihad McCullum, was arrested and charged with murder, but the charges were later dismissed by Judge David Carpenter. (report)
  3. October 10: Christopher James Jones, 35, was pronounced dead at UAB Hospital from a gunshot wound suffered during a dispute over a a lawnmower sale. He was found in his truck, which had crashed into a utility pole on the 600 block of 11th Avenue Midfield. Domanic Reshawn Bellard, Romeo Bruce Bankhead, and Bernard Lavar Lewis were arrested and charged with capital murder. (report)
  4. December 18: Makiyah Nicole Morgan, 21, was found dead on the front porch of a home on the 200 block of Woodward Road. No arrest. (report)

Pinson

  1. January 15: Dequaris Lydel Williams, 31, died at UAB Hospital from a gunshot wound suffered the night before at 5315 Pinson Valley Parkway in Pinson. He and another male, also wounded, made their way to a Shell station at 4141 Pinson Valley Parkway in Birmingham's Echo Highlands. Birmingham Police responded to the call and investigated the homicide. Jamarcus Desean McIntyre was arrested in February and charged with murder. (report)
  2. August 2: Brittany Nishae Williams, 32, was killed in a vehicle collision at the intersection of Alabama State Highway 79 and Pawnee Road. Three children with her in her Buick Lacrosse suffered minor injuries and were treated at Children's Hospital. The driver and passenger in a Dodge Challenger which struck her fled the scene on foot. From DNA evidence on the airbags, Danestris Joynae Caves was identified as the driver. She was arrested and charged with manslaughter and leaving the scene of accident. She pleaded guilty to those charges in June 2024 and was sentenced by Judge Kechia Davis to 20 years in prison. (report)
  3. December 25: Angela Marie Blaylock, 51, was killed when the Toyota 4Runner she was riding in struck a utility pole in front of P & M Mechanical at 325 Carson Road. Investigators determined that the Blaylock's daughter, Brienna Blaylock Fuller, was speeding and driving on the wrong side of the road before the collision. She was charged with manslaughter. Fuller's five children were also in the car and were injured. (report)

Tarrant

  1. January 3: Cevon Deshun Gibbs, 19, died at UAB Hospital from gunshot wounds on the 1400 block of Elizabeth Avenue. LiHerman John Hayes was arrested and charged with capital murder. The charges against him were later dropped and sisters Angel Boyd and Princess Boyd were charged with felony murder for conspiring to rob Hayes, who is now thought to have killed Gibbs in self-defense. They were indicted for felony murder by a grand jury in November. (report)
  2. January 19: Michael Ryan Berry, 74, died at UAB Hospital from wounds suffered in an assault on the 1200 block of Hanover Street. No arrest. (report)
  3. March 26: India Zippora Collins, 26, was shot to death in an apparent murder-suicide at her home on Hatchet Street. DeAngelo Carter, 32, who is believed to have shot himself, was found dead on the scene. Collins' two daughters were also at the scene but not physically harmed. (report)
  4. November 11: Brent Brown, 18, was shot to death at his home at the corner of Hall Street and Jackson Boulevard. Thaddeus Tyrese Canady was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. He was indicted on those charges in September 2022. (report)

Trussville

  1. December 12: David Michael Hammons, 64, died at UAB Hospital from gunshot wounds suffered during an attempted carjacking between a vacant former Burger King at 1402 Gadsden Highway and a Shell gas station at 1880 Edwards Lake Road four days earlier. Alfred Louis Logan Jr and Lindsey Nicole Calton were arrested and charged with capital murder. (report)

Unincorporated Jefferson County

  1. February 7: Blake Trevor Berry Jr, 32, was found dead on the side of I-459 west-bound, before Exit 17 to Acton Road. His death was investigated by the Alabama Highway Patrol as a hit-and-run, and a gold-colored Toyota sedan was sought in connection with the incident. Kenneth Ray Smith II was arrested in February 2023 and indicted on misdemeanor charges for criminally negligent homicide and felony charges for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury or death, failure to provide aid, and failure to file a report with law enforcement. (report)
  2. February 27: DeAndre Antone Carter, 30, died at UAB Hospital from a gunshot wound suffered during a dispute in the A & A Convenience Store selling Bama Discount Gas at 1100 Center Point Parkway. The unincorporated parcel is surrounded by Birmingham's Huffman community. Wallderrick Pierce Carson, who is believed to have fled the scene in a white van, was charged with murder and turned himself in. A grand jury affirmed the murder charge in November. He was convicted at trial before Judge Kechia Davis on a reduced charge of provocation manslaughter in December 2022. (report)
  3. March 30: Jeremy Oran Fields, 42, died at UAB Hospital from a gunshot wound suffered during an altercation with his father at his home on the 700 block of Fields Lane, between Oak Grove and Toadvine. The shooting was reported as a case of self-defense and no charged were filed. (report)
  4. April 12: Andre Lawrence, 31, was found shot to death in the back seat of a car whose driver flagged down a Birmingham police cruiser on Wear Drive near Huffman High School. He was shot by an acquaintance who opened fire at the car while it was parked at the Country Park Apartments on the 1100 block of Florentine Drive. Tarrell Reishon McCarter-Craig was arrested and charged with murder. He was convicted at trial in August 2023 and sentenced by Judge Michael Streety to life in prison without parole. (report)
  5. April 18: Cedric Wayne Spencer, 61, died from injuries sustained outside a business on Pawnee Village Road in Pawnee Heights. Investigators determined that he had been repeatedly run over by a car driven by his girlfriend, Tomeka Sims, who left the scene. She was arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  6. May 9: George M. Pody, 83, died at UAB Hospital from injuries suffered in a head-on vehicle collision on Forestdale Boulevard between Haven Drive and Lanewood Drive on April 15. George Franklin Holcombe was arrested and charged with reckless manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol. (report)
  7. May 11: Jermaine James Kidd, 24, suspected in an earlier incident of threatening a resident, was shot to death at the Summit Ridge Apartments on Haversham Circle in unincorporated Jefferson County between Center Point and Birmingham's Apple Valley neighborhood. Rayshard Davaria Smith was arrested and charged with manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty by reason of self-defense and was acquitted in March 2023. (report)
  8. May 25: Stanley Ray Hobson, 36, was found shot to death in the doorway of a unit at the Country Park Apartments on the 1000 block of Florentine Circle. Two suspects rode away in a black Dodge Charger. No arrest. (report)
  9. July 5: Jason Matthew Kirkland, 27, an inmate at Donaldson Correctional Facility, was found dead in his cell. Corrections officers John Eddie Rogers and Latasha Patrice Terrell were charged in 2022 with criminally negligent homicide. (report)
  10. August 1: Enrique Edward Millan Jr, 29, was killed when he was struck by a car while sitting on Queenstown Road near Alabama Drive in an unincorporated parcel surrounded by Trussville. Lyndsay Sara Bland called 911 to report having struck him with her Honda Civic. She was found to have been intoxicated and was later charged with manslaughter. She pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide before Judge Alaric May in 2024. He gave her a one-year suspended sentence with two years of supervised probation. (report)
  11. August 25: Steven Wayne Williams, 43, was found shot to death near a pick-up truck left idling near the intersection of Cedar Mountain Road and Clay-Palmerdale Road north of Clay. No arrest. (report)
  12. October 5: Jonathan Wayne "Big Boi" Jones, 48, was found shot to death at his home on the 400 block of Hillside Avenue in Muscoda. Two suspects were arrested and charged with capital murder. (report)
  13. October 8: Anthony Raynard Grayson, 48, was found dead in a car at the Bama Gas station at 1100 Center Point Parkway, in an unincorporated area bordering Birmingham's Killough Springs and Spring Lake neighborhoods. Investigators believe he was shot near the Charter East Apartments in Center Point. Terrell Maurice Watts was convicted of capital murder in August 2023 and sentenced by Judge Michael Streety to life in prison without parole. (report)
  14. October 11: Kenneth Cedrick Gilchrist, 31, an inmate at the Donaldson Correctional Facility, died from injuries sustained in an assault. No arrest. (report)
  15. November 14: Ashley Nicole Smith, 31, was found dead from injuries consistent with an assault at her home in the Town Square Village Apartments on Town and Country Circle west of Old Springville Road. (report)
  16. November 17: John Eric Cole, 29, was shot to death during his first day of work at Samuel Associated Tube Group at 1400 Red Hollow Road, off Pinson Valley Parkway. Dexter Rashad Walker was identified by witnesses and taken into custody when he returned to the scene. (report)
  17. November 24: Timothy Darius Biffle, 37, was shot to death in a residence at the Chalkville Manor Apartments on the 200 block of Chalkville Manor Drive. The shooter, Marcus Ladrell Jenkins, remained on the scene and was arrested and charged with manslaughter. (report)
  18. November 24: Samuel Owens Bell, Jr, 80, a security guard for a Drummond Company strip mine, was found shot to death on the 4000 block of Blue Creek Road, near where another security was wounded by gunshot earlier the same day. Bell's stolen SUV was spotted by Cullman County sheriff's deputies. The driver, Steven Chad Wright, attempted to flee, at one point abandoning that vehicle and stealing another and leading pursuers into Winston County, where he apparently shot and killed himself. (report)

Lee County

  1. February 8: Stacey Walls, 49, was shot to death during a domestic dispute at her home at Lee County Road 2085, southeast of Cusseta. Her son, Hunter Austin Walls, was taken into custody at the scene. (report)
  2. October 2: An unnamed female, 13 months old, died at East Alabama Medical Center from a gunshot wound suffered on the 1300 Block of Shug Jordan Parkway in Auburn. Michael A. Thomas was arrested and charged with felony manslaughter. (report)

Shelby County

  1. January 4: Amanda Mooney Falkner, 48, was shot to death by a Shelby County Sheriff's deputy after she allegedly ran over another deputy who was responding to a domestic disturbance call on the 1400 block of Mooney Road near Columbiana. The injured deputy was treated at UAB Hospital. The Shelby County Major Crimes Task Force and Shelby County District Attorney are investigating the incident. (report)
  2. March 20: Brandon Trenell Patrick, 29, was found dead from a gunshot wound in a fight that broke out during large gathering on the 500 block of Shelby County Road 203 in Aldrich. Santrez Ka'shwan O'Neal White was arrested in Tuscaloosa in April and charged with murder and assault. (report)
  3. June 19: Jesse Myrone Rutledge, 35, was shot to death at a home on Creek Run Circle in the Shiloh Creek subdivision in Calera. Tekedra Staffney, his estranged wife who had secured a protective order against him in January, was taken into custody at the scene and charged with capital murder. (report)
  4. July 25: David Allen Yearber, 56, was found dead after a reported incident on the 100 block of Pine Street in the Shelby community. His stepson, Brandon Chase Bass, was arrested and charged with his murder. (report)
  5. August 5: Kristan Bell died when her Honda Civic was rear-ended by a Ford F-150 pickup truck on U.S. Highway 280 in Chelsea. Investigators determined that the driver of the truck, Allen Montel Barefield, was speeding and was using an electronic device. He was indicted in 2023 on a charge of felony manslaughter. (report)
  6. August 31: Tracy Lee Killingsworth, 43, was shot to death and Krystal Smith wounded by gunshot during an incident at a house on the 700 block of Shelby County Highway 72 in Pelham. Charles William Hatcher, who resides at the house, was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. Judge Lara Alvis dismissed the murder charge in 2023 under the Alabama Stand Your Ground Law. The attempted murder charge proceeded to trial. (report)
  7. November 20: Amari Deonte King, 19, was killed when the vehicle he was riding in left the road and struck a tree off of Shelby County Road 17 near Pintaro Drive in Montevallo. The driver, Bryan Cortes, was charged with driving under the influence and with reckless murder. (report)
  8. December 19: Christopher Lee Easter, 46, a Birmingham firefighter, was shot to death at his home on West Stonehaven Circle in Pelham. His stepdaughter's boyfriend, Aristola Devinci Jenkins, was arrested and charged with murder. (report)

St Clair County

  1. February 8: Dexter Freeman, 38, an inmate at the St Clair County Correctional Facility in Springville, died from injuries suffered in an assault by another inmate. (report)
  2. February 21: The remains of John Ash Scoggins, 76, last seen on February 16, were found in the Hunter Crossing area of Odenville. Joshua Phillip Kyle was arrested and charged with murder. (report)
  3. March 20: Gerald Wayne Marlin Jr, 41, was shot to death after leading several law enforcement agencies on a chase that ended near the Piggly Wiggly on St Clair County Road 174 in Odenville. Marlin fired at officers approaching his pick-up truck, which had been disabled by spike strips. He was killed by return fire. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is investigating the shooting. (report)
  4. May: An infant girl died at Children's Hospital from injuries consistent with child abuse. Her parents, Ashley Jacks and Joshua Lovechio, were indicted by a grand jury on felony murder charges. The St Clair County District Attorney's Office later determined it lacked sufficient evidence to go to trial and the charges were dismissed without prejudice by Judge Billy Weathington Jr. (report)
  5. May 25: Brian A. Shaw, 67, was found shot to death on Ladonna Drive in Odenville's Woody Acres mobile home community following a robbery. Charles Lawrence Grimmett III and Andray LaQuarn Pope Jr were arrested and charged with murder. Pope was convicted at trial before Judge Billy Weathington Jr in August 2023 and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Grimmett pleaded guilty in October 2023. (report)
  6. August 24: Stanley Edward Gibson Jr, 32, was found shot to death on the roadside on the 1000 block of Mountain Top Loop in Pell City. No arrest. (report)

Talladega County

  1. April 17: Katlynn Jones, 24, was found dead with multiple stab and gunshot wounds at her home on Juanita Lane in Jacksonville. Her 4-year-old son, Mason, was also critically wounded by a gunshot wound to the head. The suspect, Alex Haynes, led law enforcement in a highway chase to just inside the Talladega city limits where he shot himself. (report)
  2. May 24: Shaquan Devon Jackson, 29, died at UAB Hospital from injuries suffered in a shooting the previous Thursday night on North Nashville Avenue between Third Street East and Fourth Street East in Sylacauga. No arrest. (report)
  3. June 12: Barbara Ann Harmon, 18, was found shot to death in a crashed car on the 1400 block of Alpine Winterboro Road between Sylacauga and Talladega. No arrest. (report)
  4. June 23: Bradford Franklin Isbell, 46, was found shot to death outside a home at 794 Harper Springs Road. Rachel Elizabeth Hayes also suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to UAB Hospital by helicopter. He is alleged to have been targeted because he had witnessed an assault at the Jefferson County Jail. Montrell Towns allegedly hired Markkeis Antwain Towns to prevent him from testifying. He, along with Kiera Monthelia Turner, Allana Amani Reid, Tahila Myicole Lomax and Montrell Deontrea Towns, were all arrested and charged with capital murder. (report)
  5. June 27: Kevin Deshawn Chatman, 34, died at Coosa Valley Medical Center from gunshot injuries suffered near the intersection of Goodwater Highway (Talladega County Road 511) and Peavy Hill Street. No arrest. (report)
  6. June 27: Gary Earl "Junior" Stone Jr, 30, was found fatally wounded by multiple gunshots at a house at 413 N. Nashville Avenue in the Buttermilk Hill community. Central Alabama Crime Stoppers has offered a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case. (report)
  7. June 29: William Gerry Taylor, 73, was found shot to death at his home and business, 4 Way Grocery & Auto Parts on Plant Road in Alpine. Lakenderick Jamal Jones and Christopher Zavon Jamerson were arrested in July and charged with capital murder. (report)
  8. July 9: Shane Leon Melton was found shot to death at his home on the 2800 block of Overhill Circle in Sylacauga following a reported domestic assault. No arrest. (report)
  9. August 1: D'Marian Miller, 17, was found shot to death in the front yard of a home on Tinney Street in Talladega after a drive-by shooting. No arrest. A reward of $1,000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest. (report)
  10. September 24: Gavin Jerome Havis, 25, was shot to death at The Landings apartments on James Payton Boulevard in Sylacauga. Suspect Jaylon Montrell Sheperd McKinzie turned himself in for questioning. No charges have been filed. (report)
  11. October 8: Lester "Tulu" Wilson, 55, died at UAB Hospital from a gunshot wound suffered in a dispute at 720 Billingsley Road in Sylacauga six days earlier. Orethaniel Dell Swain was arrested and charged with manslaughter. (report)

Tallapoosa County

  1. July 23: Michael Johnson Sr, 70, was found dead in a wooded area near Alabama State Highway 50, south of Dadeville. Willie Frank Wyckoff was arrested and charged with capital murder during a kidnapping. (report)

Tuscaloosa County

  1. March 15: Sean Michael Barret, 33, was shot to death by a coworker in the parking lot of the Dixie Pulp & Paper warehouse on Commerce Drive near the Tuscaloosa National Airport. The shooter, Demorius Mondreal Polke, also killed himself. (report)
  2. May 4: Xzorian Gray, 16, was found shot to death in a vehicle near the intersection of Fosters Ferry Road and 21st Street in Tuscaloosa. No arrest. (report)
  3. May 29: Lorenzo Deairos Graham, 21, was shot to death at Snow Hinton Park on Hargrove Road East in Tuscaloosa. Davares Rayshun "Ray Ray" Grayson was charged with capital murder, but remains at large. (report)
  4. May 30: Kornei Kelvontae Mills, 23, was found shot to death at the Legacy at Country Club Apartments off Alabama State Highway 69 in Tuscaloosa. Charles Deandre "CJ' Newton Jr is charged with murder. Chakyla Deambri "Poot" Scarbrough and Nelson Beville Jr were charged with conspiracy to commit murder. (report)
  5. June 12: Versaun Leonard, 19, was found shot to death on the 3200 block of Willow Lane in Tuscaloosa. Brenygha "Bre" Tatyna Mashaye Edwards, Justin Jenkins, and Quartavius Hudson were arrested and charged with capital murder. A fourth suspect, Quentin Hudson, surrendered in January 2024. (report)
  6. September 6: Willie Haywood Jr, 53, was shot to death and an infant critically injured at a home on the 4400 block of 20th Street Northeast in the Holt community northeast of Tuscaloosa. The girl's mother, Lashana Henderson, was taken into custody at the scene and charged with capital murder and first-degree domestic violence assault. (report)
  7. November 2: Maurice Jones Jr, 20, was shot to death on the 2500 block of 11th Court in Tuscaloosa. No arrest. (report)
  8. December 11: Michael Brand Jr, 30, died at DCH Regional Medical Center from a gunshot wound suffered outside Club 205 near the intersection of 24th Street and Greensboro Avenue in Tuscaloosa. No arrest. (report)
  9. December 26: Christopher Gilbert, 39, died from gunshot wounds suffered on the 1900 block of Dinah Washington Avenue in Tuscaloosa. Calvin Lee Willis was arrested and charged with murder. (report)

Walker County

  1. February 4: The remains of Summer Lashay Buzbee, 23 were found near Old Russellville Road north of Jasper. She was last seen on December 20, 2020 at a convenience store where a relative of hers was working. The cause of her death has not been determined, but the Walker County Sheriff's Office is investigating it as a homicide. Persons of interest have been identified, but no charges have been announced. A $25,000 reward has been offered for information leading to prosecution. (report)
  2. February 26: Frederick Earl Height II, 26, was shot to death by a Walker County Sheriff's Deputy responding to a mental health call at a home on Coon Creek Road in Empire. The incident was reviewed by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation and the Walker County District Attorney's Office determined not to prosecute. In September Height's father filed a wrongful death suit against Sheriff Nick Smith and deputy J. J. Jackson.(report)
  3. February 27: Roger Dale Gibson, 27, was pronounced dead at Walker Baptist Medical Center after being shot by a Dora Police officer during a confrontation on the 500 block of High Street in Dora. Two officers were injured in the incident, which is being reviewed by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation. No charges have been announced. (report)
  4. June 10: Gregory Hambric, 64, was shot to death by Walker County Sheriff's deputies responding to an active domestic shooting in the Boldo community. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency took over investigation of the police shooting. (report)
  5. November 15: Krystal Lynn Franklin, 33, was shot to death in a drive-by assault on Benny Short Road northeast of Jasper. Jacob Aaron Thompson was arrested in Cullman County and charged with capital murder. Patrick Thomas Edge was arrested in August 2022 and also charged with capital murder. (report)

Winston County

  1. December 13: Michael Anthony Box, 49, was found dead in a house which had been set on fire at 957 National Forest Road 121 in Houston. Steven Terry Wilson was arrested and charged with murder and arson. (report)

References

  • Robinson, Carol (July 12, 2021) "Of Birmingham’s 60 homicides in first half of 2021, these 22 murders remain unsolved." The Birmingham News
  • Robinson, Carol (January 1, 2022) "Birmingham metro area homicides soared in 2021: These are the lives that were lost." The Birmingham News