Larry Pettway

Larry Pettway, a 70-year-old retired U.S. Marine, was a resident of Birmingham, Alabama. Remembered as a man who deserved to feel safe in his own neighborhood, his life was tragically cut short in the early summer of 2020, leaving a community to mourn an senseless loss.

On the evening of Friday, June 5, 2020, Mr. Pettway was walking near the intersection of 17th Street SW and Jefferson Avenue in his southwest Birmingham neighborhood. At approximately 8:45 p.m., gunfire erupted from a nearby area. Mr. Pettway, an innocent bystander, was caught in the crossfire and struck by a bullet. Officers from the Birmingham Police Department’s West Precinct responded to a call about a person shot and found Mr. Pettway unresponsive on the sidewalk. He was rushed to UAB Hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries.

The Birmingham Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation into the death of the 70-year-old veteran. Initially, investigators had no suspects in custody and appealed to the public for any information that could lead to an arrest. Detectives worked the case for over a month, gathering evidence and piecing together the events that led to the fatal shooting. Their investigation eventually pointed them toward a suspect.

In mid-July 2020, investigators presented their findings to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. Based on the information provided, prosecutors were able to secure a murder warrant for the arrest of Brandon Parker, a 36-year-old resident of Birmingham. Parker was identified as the individual responsible for the gunfire that killed Mr. Pettway. News of the warrant brought a measure of relief to those following the case. Local journalist Jon Paepcke commented, "I hope this arrest brings the Pettway family a sense of justice. Parker deserves his day in court, but residents like Mr. Pettway, a retired Marine, also deserve to be able to walk to the neighborhood store without fearing for their life."

At the time the murder warrant was issued, Brandon Parker was already incarcerated. Court records showed he had been arrested in Jefferson County just days after Mr. Pettway's death on unrelated charges originating from Tennessee. He was held locally from June 9th to June 17th before being transferred to another facility. When the warrant for Mr. Pettway's murder was approved, Parker was in custody at the Sevier County Jail in Tennessee.

Authorities made arrangements for Parker to be extradited back to Alabama to face the murder charge. Upon his release and transfer to the Jefferson County Jail, he was to be held on a $50,000 bond. The case against him for the death of Larry Pettway was set to proceed through the local court system.

As of July 2020, the case was moving into the judicial phase with a suspect in custody awaiting transfer to face charges. The investigation by the Birmingham Police Department successfully led to an arrest, providing a step toward justice for a beloved community member who was tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time. Anyone with further information regarding the incident was asked to contact the BPD's Homicide Unit at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.