In the early morning hours of November 30, 2025, a violent incident disrupted the quiet of the Beauregard community in Lee County, Alabama. Just after 1:00 a.m., deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a residence located in the 100 block of Lee Road 41 following a distress call. Upon entering the home, law enforcement officials discovered the body of 43-year-old Marcus Jacquez Strickland.
He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene, marking the start of a homicide investigation in the Opelika area.
As investigators worked to piece together the events leading to the death of Strickland, also known to friends and family as "Wuk," they quickly identified a potential suspect. Authorities named 44-year-old David Lavar Preston as the individual believed to be responsible for the shooting. According to the Sheriff's Office, Strickland and Preston were acquaintances rather than relatives. The search for Preston led deputies away from the immediate scene to a property in neighboring Cusseta, Alabama.
The operation to apprehend the suspect culminated later that day when the Lee County SWAT team converged on a residence in the 3900 block of Lee Road 177. Preston was taken into custody without further violence and transported to the Lee County Detention Center. He was formally charged with murder, a class A felony, and ordered to be held without bond as he awaited legal proceedings. In the wake of the arrest, officials continued to appeal to the public for any additional information regarding the circumstances of the case.
