In the spring of 2024, a domestic dispute in a Birmingham, Alabama, home escalated to a fatal conclusion, leaving a family fractured and a community grappling with another instance of domestic violence. On the evening of April 30th, in the 1500 block of Cedargate Circle, 38-year-old Andre Derrel Perry, a Black male, was shot and killed. The incident marked the city's 41st homicide investigation of the year.
Birmingham Police Department's East Precinct officers were dispatched to the
residence at approximately 10:03 p.m. following reports of a domestic disturbance. Upon their arrival, they discovered Perry unresponsive inside the home, suffering from a gunshot wound. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service personnel were also at the scene and pronounced him dead at 10:24 p.m. The preliminary investigation swiftly pointed to a domestic altercation between Perry and his wife that had taken a violent turn. Their teenage child was reportedly in the home at the time of the incident but did not witness the shooting.
The primary suspect in the shooting, Perry's wife, Lasha Patrice Thomas, who was 38 at the time, remained at the scene and was taken into custody for questioning. Following the investigation, the case was presented to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. On May 2, 2024, a murder warrant was issued for Thomas. She was subsequently arrested and booked into the Jefferson County Jail.
In the ensuing legal process, Thomas was indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury on a murder charge on March 7, 2025. She later waived her right to a preliminary hearing and was released on a $150,000 bond as she awaits trial for the death of her husband.
