On an autumn evening in Montgomery, Alabama, the life of 35-year-old Erica A. June-Wagner, a devoted mother of seven, was tragically cut short. On October 25, 2022, while sitting in her car listening to music in the driveway of her residence on East Fourth Street, she was fatally shot. Police responded to the scene at approximately 7:40 p.m. to find her with a gunshot wound.
Despite the immediate efforts of some of her children who found her and tried to stop the bleeding, she was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting occurred just months before her 36th birthday.
In the wake of the devastating loss, Erica's family began a search for answers. According to Erica's mother, Patricia June, investigators identified a suspect shortly after the murder. This individual was reportedly 15 years old at the time of the shooting. The family was told that this suspect had allegedly confessed the killing to a family member, but he was not immediately questioned or taken into custody by law enforcement. His family is said to have sent him away after the incident.
Years later, the same individual, Rodriques Humphrey, at the age of 18, was charged with capital murder and attempted murder in connection with a different case in Montgomery. Patricia June recognized his name as the person who had been identified as a suspect in her daughter's murder. Investigators had also informed her that Humphrey was a suspect in yet another murder that occurred in March 2023. While Humphrey was a person of interest in Erica's death, reports do not indicate he was ever formally charged in her case.
The investigation into Erica June-Wagner's death has remained a source of anguish for her family. A reward was offered for information leading to an arrest, but the case has been marked by a frustrating lack of closure. While the name Carlos Heard has been mentioned in an online memorial page as being charged with her murder, this has not been substantiated by official news sources. The community continues to remember Erica as a loving mother and a great friend who loved to laugh.
