On a Sunday evening in Eight Mile, Alabama, a dispute over personal property tragically escalated, ending the life of 57-year-old James Suggs. The incident unfolded on June 8, 2025, at Suggs's home on East Markris Circle. Responding to a shooting call at approximately 7:35 p.m., deputies from the Mobile County Sheriff's Office discovered Suggs in his front yard with a gunshot wound to the neck. He was quickly transported to a local hospital, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
Known to friends and family as 'Bo Buckles,' Suggs was a charismatic man and a hardworking carpenter, born on August 16, 1967.
The investigation into the shooting swiftly identified two brothers, Austin Wheat-Payne, 25, and James Wheat-Payne, 27, as the alleged shooters. According to the Mobile County Sheriff's Office, the brothers went to Suggs's residence armed with guns, intending to confront him. Austin Wheat-Payne had reportedly hired Suggs for a construction job and believed that Suggs had stolen personal property from him. This confrontation led to an argument, which culminated in Suggs being shot.
After the shooting, the Wheat-Payne brothers fled the scene in a vehicle. Their flight was short-lived, as they drove to Blount High School, where Austin Wheat-Payne himself placed a call to 911. Officers from the Prichard Police Department responded to the high school and detained both brothers until sheriff's deputies arrived. The firearm believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered from the front seat of their vehicle.
Following their apprehension, Austin and James Wheat-Payne were taken into custody and booked into the metro jail. They have both been charged with the murder of James Suggs. The case highlights a fatal escalation of a personal dispute, leaving a family to mourn the loss of a father, son, and brother.
