In the late hours of a Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a dispute tragically escalated, leaving one man dead. Keeondray Sterling, a 37-year-old male, was fatally shot on October 4, 2025. The incident occurred shortly before 11 p.m. in the 3400 block of Greensboro Avenue, at a storage unit facility where informal gatherings were known to take place.
This location had been the scene of another homicide earlier in the same year.
Responding to the call, law enforcement found Sterling with fatal gunshot wounds. The events that followed took a surprising turn when another 37-year-old man, Cordell Shepherd, contacted the police and admitted to the shooting. An investigation into the matter, which included reviewing security footage and interviewing witnesses, suggested the shooting stemmed from an argument over a woman.
Following his confession and the subsequent investigation by the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, Cordell Shepherd was charged with murder. He was taken into custody and booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail, where he was held without bond. The death of Keeondray Sterling marked the 14th homicide investigated by the unit in 2025, contributing to a particularly violent week in the Tuscaloosa area. Funeral services for Sterling were scheduled for Saturday, October 18, 2025.
