Richard Bernard Smith, 59, a Black man, was killed in the predawn hours of December 1, 2015, after violence found him just steps from home on 81st Place South in Birmingham, Alabama. Police were summoned to the neighborhood around 3:45 a.m., and when officers arrived they discovered Smith had been shot; his body was found inside the residence.
Investigators said Smith had been walking back from a store when two men approached him near his house.
In one account given by police, the encounter turned tense as words were exchanged and Smith was shot as he tried to get back inside. Another account described a more overtly predatory moment: Smith and a friend were nearing the front door when they saw two armed men, who demanded money and ordered them into the house; as they crossed the threshold, Smith tried to close the door, and gunfire cut through the attempt. The suspects fled the area in a dark-colored vehicle, leaving behind a stunned street and a scene that detectives treated as a homicide from the outset.
In the first hours of the investigation, police said two people were taken into custody for questioning, but no charges had been filed at that time. Public updates in the initial reporting did not name any arrested suspect, announce any formal arrest for the killing, or describe a criminal case moving forward through court; instead, the early narrative remained focused on reconstructing the moments of the approach, the gunfire at the doorway, and the escape of the men believed responsible.
