List of homicides in 1983
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This is a List of homicides in 1983. It includes homicide cases occuring throughout the Birmingham area during the calendar year. Note that not all homicides are ultimately ruled to be murder in courts of law.
Jefferson County
Birmingham
Shelby County
- April 17: The body of Birmingham art dealer Malcolm McRae, 30, missing since February 27, was found in a wooded area near the Cahaba River in Helena. Former firefighter Gerald Wayne Lawley was arrested and charged with murder. He initially claimed that he accidentally shot McRae while aiming for a tossed wine bottle and fled afterward. No bottle or glass was found at the scene. Lawley pleaded guilty on April 9, 1984 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. McRae's mother supported Lawley's petition for parole, which he was granted after eight years in prison. (report)
St Clair County
- John Henry Northard, 64, was found dead with his wife in a burning home. His son, Dorsie Northard, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole. He died of cancer in prison in 2011 (report)
- Jimmie Loreen Northard, 63, was found dead with her husband in a burning home. Her step-son, Dorsie Northard, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole. He died of cancer in prison in 2011 (report)
References
- Birmingham News reports accessed at the microfilm room of the Birmingham Public Library