On a Sunday morning in the summer of 2010, the life of George Phillips, a 54-year-old Black man from Birmingham, Alabama, was tragically cut short. His death on July 11, 2010, would become the city's 21st homicide investigation of the year.
Around 7:30 a.m., Phillips was found shot to death inside a Chevrolet pickup truck. The truck was parked in an alley behind a vacant apartment building at 4555 13th Avenue North. He was discovered slumped in the cab and bleeding from his head, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Birmingham Police detectives began piecing together his final hours. They learned that several people had seen Phillips riding around the neighborhood on Saturday, the day before his body was found. A witness also reported hearing two gunshots on Saturday night, but police could not determine who pulled the trigger.
The investigation continued, but years passed without an arrest, and the case went cold. In June 2014, then-Birmingham Police Chief A.C.
Roper made a public appeal for anonymous tips, stating that detectives still needed to know why Phillips was killed and who was responsible. He asked for anyone with information about what Phillips was doing in his final days, who he was going to see, or if he had been in any trouble to come forward.
As of June 2014, the murder of George Phillips remained unsolved. Authorities continue to seek information that could lead to the prosecution of his killer. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
