In the early morning hours of December 23, 2017, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of a Knoxville, Tennessee neighborhood, setting in motion a chain of events that would end in the death of 37-year-old Alfred Lamar Griffin. An African American man, Griffin was a beloved son, father, and friend whose life was tragically cut short.
Just after leaving his mother's home on Boyd Street, the white Chrysler 300 in which Griffin was a passenger was ambushed.
A vehicle approached from behind and began firing at them while they were stopped at the intersection of Boyd Street and West Baxter Avenue. The driver, Stephanie Means, sped away in an attempt to escape the barrage of bullets. In the ensuing panic, the car crashed into a fence at the corner of Baxter and McSpadden Street, and then again into another fence on McSpadden where the vehicle finally came to a stop.
When Knoxville Police responded to the scene at approximately 2:30 a.m., they found both Griffin and Means with serious injuries. They were both transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for treatment. While Means would eventually recover from her injuries, Griffin was rushed into surgery. He fought for his life for six days before succumbing to his wounds on December 29, 2017.
Investigators located more than a dozen shell casings at the intersection where the shooting began, tracing the path of the violent encounter. Despite their efforts and pleas to the public for information, the case remains unsolved. No arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Alfred Lamar Griffin, and no suspects have been publicly identified. His family continues to seek answers and justice in a case that has grown cold, a painful reminder of a life taken too soon.
