In the spring of 2008, a quiet street in Memphis, Tennessee, became the scene of a mystery that still lingers today. On the evening of Wednesday, May 21st, a passerby noticed a suspicious vehicle parked behind a house at 79 E. Dover, just north of Person Avenue. This observation prompted a call to the Memphis Police Department, and what officers discovered would leave a family grieving and a community searching for answers.
Responding to the 'man down' call at approximately 6:00 p.m., officers from the Airways Station found 57-year-old Russell Smith, an African American male, slumped in the front seat of his maroon 1994 Buick LaSabre. He had sustained fatal gunshot wounds, and his death was quickly ruled a homicide. Investigators have considered robbery as a possible motive for this violent act.
Despite the passage of time, the case of Russell Smith's death remains an open and unsolved homicide. No arrests have ever been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The Memphis Police Department's Homicide Bureau continues to seek information from the public, hoping that someone will come forward with the key piece of evidence that will bring closure to Smith's family and hold his killer or killers accountable for their actions. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Memphis Police Department.
