In the early afternoon of September 17, 2022, the life of 23-year-old DeAnthony Latrell Elston, a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short in Sylacauga, Alabama. Known to his friends and family as "Zip," Elston was discovered unresponsive in his gray Dodge Challenger on Wood Street. The Sylacauga Police Department had responded to reports of gunfire in the area around 12:30 p.m. and found Elston inside his vehicle with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
The Talladega County Coroner's Office pronounced him deceased at the scene. His body was subsequently sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science for an autopsy to officially determine the cause of death.
DeAnthony, a resident of Sylacauga and former student of B.B. Comer High School, was a father to two children, a daughter named Anslee Kynd Elston and another, Korbyn Leorah Elston. His sudden and violent death left his family, including his parents Diane and Anthony Elston, and the wider community in mourning. He was remembered as someone who, despite facing challenges, was deeply loved by his family.
In the wake of the shooting, the Sylacauga Police Department launched a homicide investigation and appealed to the public for assistance. They urged anyone with information regarding the shooting to contact their tip line or a specific sergeant assigned to the case. To further encourage potential witnesses to come forward, Central Alabama Crime Stoppers offered a reward for information that would lead to an arrest. Despite these efforts and the ongoing investigation, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of DeAnthony Latrell Elston. The case remains an unsolved homicide, leaving his loved ones without answers and a community still searching for justice.
