In the summer of 2021, a tragedy unfolded in a Birmingham, Alabama neighborhood that left a family grieving and a community searching for answers. On August 5th, 66-year-old Ellis Lewis Embry, a Black male, was found deceased inside a residence in the 1000 block of 42nd Place North. The grim discovery was made after police responded to reports of gunfire in the area, a sound that pierced the afternoon quiet and signaled a violent end to a life.
Upon entering the home, officers found a scene of devastation. Mr. Embry was located in a hallway, having sustained an apparent gunshot wound. In another part of the house, the kitchen, lay 49-year-old Timothy Lashawn Erby, also a victim of fatal gunfire. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene by Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel, launching what would become a double homicide investigation. The initial shock of the discovery gave way to a painstaking search for clues and a quest for justice for the two men whose lives were abruptly taken.
In the days and months that followed, the Birmingham Police Department worked to piece together the events that led to the deaths of Mr. Embry and Mr. Erby. Despite their efforts, the case grew cold, with no arrests made and no suspects publicly identified. The lack of resolution prompted authorities to seek help from the public. In a significant move to generate new leads, the FBI's Birmingham Field Office, in conjunction with the local police, announced a substantial reward of up to $10,000 for information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the double homicide. This public appeal for assistance underscores the ongoing commitment of law enforcement to bring closure to the families of Ellis Lewis Embry and Timothy Lashawn Erby, as the search for those responsible continues.
