In the spring of 2022, the life of 41-year-old Courtney Demond Mays was cut short in Birmingham, Alabama. On the evening of Thursday, May 5, 2022, Mays was in the 1600 block of 25th Avenue North when he was fatally shot. Emergency services responded to the scene, but Mays succumbed to his injuries, leaving a community to mourn his sudden and violent death.
He was a Black male.
The Birmingham Police Department launched a homicide investigation, and their efforts led to the identification of a suspect. Detectives worked the case for several months, gathering information and following leads. In September of that year, the investigation had progressed to a point where the case could be presented to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. Following the presentation of evidence, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Roderick Jimelle Needham Jr., a 22-year-old Black male, also from Birmingham.
On Wednesday, October 5, 2022, the United States Marshal's Task Force apprehended Roderick Needham Jr. in Birmingham. He was taken into custody and formally charged in connection with the death of Courtney Mays. The charges brought against him were severe and included Murder, Attempted Murder, and Discharging a Firearm into an Occupied Vehicle. Needham Jr. was subsequently booked into the Jefferson County Jail, with his bond set at $1,250,000.
