Jamel Vetal Pendleton, a 45-year-old male, was fatally shot on the evening of Friday, January 27, 2023, at his residence on St. Stephens Road in Mount Vernon, Alabama. The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. when Pendleton, who was at home with two family members, answered a knock at his door. Upon opening it, he was confronted by two men and was shot multiple times.
Despite his severe injuries, Pendleton was able to provide a description of one of the assailants to his sister,
who was present in the house at the time. In what authorities have described as a dying declaration, he stated that a tall, thin individual with red dreadlocks was the one who shot him. His sister also witnessed a suspect matching this description. Before succumbing to his wounds, Pendleton urged his family members to call 911. Friends of Pendleton described him as a good person who was unproblematic, and the news of his violent death came as a shock to those who knew him.
The investigation into the homicide led the Mobile County Sheriff's Office to identify 18-year-old Alvin Adams as a suspect. Witnesses had reportedly seen Adams at Pendleton's home on several occasions prior to the shooting. Adams later turned himself in to authorities and was subsequently charged with murder and shooting into an occupied building. While it is believed that Adams was the one who pulled the trigger, law enforcement has indicated that another unidentified man accompanied him during the commission of the crime. Authorities have stated that the community's cooperation was instrumental in identifying potential suspects.
