2009 Birmingham homicides

This is a List of Birmingham homicides in 2009. It includes homicide cases occuring within the city limits during the calendar year. 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 police and prosecutors.

As of February 20, 11 homicides have been reported in the city, putting Birmingham on pace for 79 in 2009. Based on the 2007 census estimate of 229,800 population, that represents 34.4 homicides per 100,000 population for the year. Birmingham had 88 homicides in 2008 (of which 82 were reported to the FBI as murders), 93 in 2007 (86 reported as murder), and a record of 141 in 1992.

Birmingham is averaging 6.4 homicides per month, or one every 4.6 days. There were 8 incidents in January and 3 so far in February. The longest stretch without a homicide was 9 days between January 13 and 22. 1 homicide occurred on a Sunday, 2 on Mondays, 2 on Tuesdays, 2 on Thursdays, 1 on Friday and 3 on Saturdays.

Of the 11 reported homicides, suspects have been identified in 8 cases, apprehended in 8, charged in 8 and convicted in none.

10 of the 11 reported homicides were shootings and one was a vehicular collision. 2 resulted from the escalation of previous altercations, 1 was an accident taking place while fleeing from a crime, 1 was the result of an attempt to repossess a car, and the other cases had no reported motive. At least 6 deadly incidents occurred on the streets, one in a park, one in a home, one in a parking lot and one in a driveway. 10 of the 11 victims were males.

Listing by date

1. January 5: Cornelius Mosley, 34, found shot at 1st Avenue South and Goldwire Street (map). His brother was also injured in the mid-day shooting, which erupted when the Mosley's pulled up to a stop sign and were assaulted from a nearby porch. Ronald Martin, recently released from the hospital after being stabbed, was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. [1]
2. January 8: Jason McClendon, 28, was shot after attempting to repossess a Cadillac on the 2000 block of 19th Court North with a partner (map). Reginald Jackson and his brother Jeremiah Jemmerson, confronted the two and threatened them with a rifle, prompting them to leave without the car. As they left, Jackson fired a shot which struck McClendon in the back of the head. Jackson turned himself in to police and confessed, saying that he intended to fire in the air over the truck. He was charged with capital murder. [2]
3. January 11: Charles Bevelle, Jr, 33, a coal miner from Hueytown, called Birmingham police and reported that he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident on I-20/59 North near Avenue I Ensley at about 3:00 AM (map). When police arrived, they found him shot to death. Charles Wilson turned himself in to authorities on January 16 and was charged with murder. [3]
4. January 13: Keith Shoemaker, 51, was struck by a car containing three burglary suspects being chased by Birmingham police on Parkway East at Shopping Center Drive (map). After the wreck, the suspects fled on foot and were captured. Cordarrious Davidson, Brandon Pauldin and Kenneth Baker have each been charged with murder as well as burglary. [4]
5. January 13: The burned remains of Leroy Langlais, 41, of Missouri, Texas were found in a charred car that had been impounded from East Birmingham on December 23, 2008. He had been shot and placed in the trunk, then moved to the back seat before the car was set ablaze. Langlais, who flew into Birmingham and rented a car, was reported missing by his wife. [5]
6. January 22: Sandy Doss, Jr, 29, was killed and another person injured in a shooting at 3556 43rd Avenue North (map). Investigators believe the incident to have been a drug-related robbery. Dion Williams was arrested and charged with capital murder and attempted murder. Another suspect was charged, but those charges were dismissed after further investigation. [6]
7. January 26: Jasper Dozier, 50, was shot to death in front of his house at 624 2nd Street Southwest (map). Randy Taylor turned himself in to police and was charged with murder. [7]
8. January 31: Carlos Garcia, 38, was found dead from gunshot wounds in a vehicle in the parking lot at 800 Gadsden Highway (map). Another man was found wounded in the vehicle. No arrest.
9. February 7: Geraldo Gonzalez, 31, found shot to death at 5018 18th Court North (map). Julio Cesar Romero, with whom the victim had an ongoing dispute, was identified as a suspect and charged. He initially fled to Georgia, but later turned himself in to Birmingham police. [8]
10. February 7: LeRico Beasley, 21, found shot to death on the 4100 block of Messer Airport Highway alley (map). No arrest. [9]
11. February 13: Demarshell Taper, 34, was shot to death in Arthur Shores Park in Druid Hills (map). Witnesses say she was killed by a man who walked with her into the park, talked with her, then shot her four times and fled. Carey Lamar Lee has been arrested and charged with murder. [10]

Notes

1. The death of Leroy Langlais occurred in December 2008, but was ruled a homicide by the coroner's office in 2009. Neither the Birmingham Police Department nor the Birmingham News are including Langlais' death in their 2009 counts.
2. The death of Keith Shoemaker was ruled accidental by the coroner, but occured during the commission of a crime and resulted in murder charges. The Birmingham Police Department is not counting Shoemaker's death in its count, but the Birmingham News is.
3. The Birmingham Police Department does not count homicides toward their total if they have been ruled justifiable by police or prosecutors.

Responses

The annual Martin Luther King, Jr Day gun buy-back sponsored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference brought in 15 firearms at $50 per gun.

References

• Breaking News from the Birmingham News

External links

• Birmingham Homicides 2009 Google map by Toraine Norris for the Birmingham News

See also

• List of homicides in 2009
• Birmingham homicides by year
• Crime in Birmingham