A wave of violence on a summer afternoon in Montgomery, Alabama, claimed the life of 26-year-old Dekeith Whatley, a Black male from Prattville. On July 12, 2025, Whatley was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside his car at a local barbershop on Upper Wetumpka Road. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The shooting was not an isolated incident; it was part of a series of violent events that unfolded that day, leaving the community in shock.
Shortly
after Whatley was discovered, police found another victim, 27-year-old Malik Benson, on North California Street, less than a mile away. Benson had also been shot to death. Investigators quickly determined that the two homicides were connected, suggesting a targeted and related series of events. The back-to-back shootings prompted a significant police response and an urgent call for information from the public to piece together the tragic events of that afternoon. The violence cast a somber mood over the city, which had been seeing a decrease in violent crime.
The investigation into the linked murders led to the arrest of 19-year-old Cordericus Thomas. He was taken into custody and charged with murder in connection with the deaths of both Dekeith Whatley and Malik Benson. While an arrest was made, further details regarding the motive behind the shootings have not been publicly released. Information regarding the trial, conviction, or sentencing of Cordericus Thomas is not available in the provided online sources.
