Towan Troy Lee, known affectionately as "Dunn" by his family and friends, was a man who loved to make people laugh. Born on March 14, 1980, in Paterson, New Jersey, he was a 39-year-old Black / African American man who had made a new home for himself in Birmingham, Alabama. Towan was a devoted father to his four children, Autumn, Jordan, Jeilynn, and Jeinna. His loved ones remember him as a jokester who enjoyed his coffee, peanuts, and hot wings. A man of many talents, Towan worked as a handyman and was also a rap artist, performing as a member of the group FOD. He was an avid sports fan, passionately following his favorite football team, the New York Jets, and his favorite basketball player, LeBron James.
The afternoon of Thursday, October 17, 2019, brought a tragic end to Towan's life. A passerby made a grim discovery in the Zion City neighborhood of Birmingham, finding Towan unresponsive in the street at the intersection of 93rd Street North and 7th Court North.
Emergency services, including Birmingham Fire and Rescue and the Jefferson County Coroner, were dispatched to the scene. Despite their efforts, Towan Troy Lee was pronounced deceased at the location where he was found.
The Birmingham Police Department initially began a death investigation, but evidence found at the scene quickly led them to reclassify the case as a homicide. For months, detectives worked to uncover the circumstances surrounding Towan's death. The community was left searching for answers, and his family mourned the sudden and violent loss of a man they cherished. Friends recalled his amazing friendship and the bond he shared with their children, who saw him as a great uncle.
A significant breakthrough in the investigation came in February 2020. The Birmingham Police Department arrested 40-year-old Ray Franklin in connection with Towan's killing. Investigators announced their belief that the shooting was not a random act of violence but was instead an act of retaliation for a previous, unspecified incident between the two men. This development offered a path toward justice for Towan's grieving family.
Following his arrest, Ray Franklin was charged with murder. He also faced several drug-related offenses, including unlawful possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession and trafficking of marijuana. The case proceeded through the Jefferson County legal system, culminating in a plea agreement. Franklin chose to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, avoiding a trial on the murder charge.
As a result of his guilty plea, Ray Franklin was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the death of Towan Troy Lee. As part of the plea deal, the additional drug charges that had been filed against him were dismissed. The resolution of the court case closed the legal chapter of the tragedy, but it could not fill the void left in the lives of those who knew and loved Towan. His memory is cherished by his surviving children, his brothers Tony and Derrick, his sister Jacquita, and a large extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins who continue to honor the life of the man they called "Dunn."
