In early 2011, a string of violent crimes against women in South Memphis instilled fear in the community, with residents worried a serial killer was on the loose. Among the victims was Rhonda Wells, a 44-year-old African-American woman, whose life was cut short in a brutal act of violence. She was a mother and was remembered by friends and family for her beautiful smile and vibrant personality.
Friends recalled her as a stylish 'DIVA' who was always impeccably dressed with a warm personality.
On the morning of February 24, 2011, the groundskeeper of Mt. Carmel Cemetery made a grim discovery, finding Rhonda Wells' body on one of the cemetery roads. She had been killed by a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators soon linked her murder to other recent killings in the area, noting the similarities in the victims and the method of their deaths. Just days earlier, another woman, Jessica Lewis, was also found murdered in the same cemetery. Both women were known to have histories involving sex work, and authorities believed they were targeted by the same individual.
The investigation into the series of murders led police to believe that a single perpetrator was responsible for at least three homicides and one attempted murder. A break in the case came when a fourth woman survived an attack. She provided authorities with a description of her assailant, leading to the creation of a composite sketch. The suspect was described as a young Black man, approximately 24 years old, with his hair styled in cornrows. He was reportedly driving a dark-colored Dodge Charger or Chrysler 300.
Despite the eyewitness description, a composite sketch, and the recovery of DNA and ballistic evidence from the crime scenes, the identity of the person responsible for Rhonda Wells' death remains unknown. No arrests have ever been made in her case, or in the connected murders, leaving a cloud of unresolved grief and fear over the community. The cases of Rhonda Wells and the other victims remain unsolved, a chilling reminder of a violent period in Memphis that left several families without their loved ones and a killer still at large. The Memphis Police Department continues to seek information from the public that could lead to a break in these cold cases.
