Alvin Lee Bellard, a 32-year-old African American male, was tragically killed on September 29, 2019, in Beaumont, Texas. Bellard was one of four men shot in a South Park apartment. The incident occurred around 12:10 p.m. when a Beaumont patrol officer, while on duty, heard gunfire and discovered the victims inside a bedroom of the apartment. Bellard and another victim, Shannon Sutton, were pronounced dead at the scene, while the other two victims, Bobby Wyatt and Elijah Rideau, were transported
to a hospital but later succumbed to their injuries.
The suspect in the case, Lively James Stratton, a 22-year-old Beaumont man, was identified by one of the victims, Elijah Rideau, in a "dying declaration" made to the responding officer. Stratton was subsequently arrested and charged with four counts of murder. The investigation revealed that Stratton had been living with the victims and had ongoing disputes with them. Witnesses reported that Stratton had been threatening the men prior to the shooting. The apartment where the incident occurred had a history of disturbances and police calls, including reports of shots fired and thefts.
Stratton was indicted for the quadruple murder and held on a $4 million bond, with $1 million set for each victim. The case highlighted the ongoing issues of violence and disputes within shared living spaces and the tragic consequences that can result from unresolved conflicts. The community of Beaumont mourned the loss of Alvin Lee Bellard and the other victims, as the legal proceedings against Stratton continued.
