Do you know who killed Lester Marvin Walton in 2009? On the evening of March 5, 2009, Lester Marvin Walton Sr., a 66-year-old Black male, was relaxing in his mother's home on Ashland Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee. As he was watching television, the peace of the evening was shattered by the sound of gunfire. A vehicle drove by the residence, and an occupant or occupants opened fire on the house in what police would later describe as a tragic case of mistaken identity.
Walton was struck and killed in the assault.
Investigators determined that the shooting was an act of retaliation for a previous incident, but the perpetrators had targeted the wrong address. Despite the clarity of the motive, the case quickly grew cold. The Knoxville Police Department has revisited the investigation multiple times over the years, re-interviewing witnesses and even seeking information from individuals incarcerated for other crimes, but these efforts have yet to lead to a breakthrough. The case officially remains an unsolved homicide, with no arrests made and no publicly identified suspects.
Lester Walton was a beloved family man, having been married to his wife, Bernice, for 47 years. He was a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. A member of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church and an active bowler with the Pace Setters Bowling Team, his sudden and violent death left a profound void in the lives of his loved ones and the wider community. His family continues to await justice in a case that has remained without resolution for over a decade.
