In the early morning hours of October 1, 2022, the quiet of the Hickory Haven Trailer Park in Opelika, Alabama, was shattered by violence. Responding to a call at approximately 3:00 a.m., Opelika Police discovered a young man lying in the roadway with a gunshot wound. The victim was identified as 24-year-old Ker'detrius Mercer of Salem, Alabama. He was pronounced deceased at the scene, and the suspect had fled before law enforcement arrived.
The investigation into the death of the male
victim was swift. Detectives with the Opelika Police Department began to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting. Within a couple of days, their investigation pointed to a single suspect. On October 3, 2022, authorities executed a search warrant at a residence in the same trailer park where Mercer's body had been found.
At approximately 9:50 a.m. that Monday, police arrested 22-year-old Reginald Lamar Hooks. He was taken into custody and charged with the murder of Ker'detrius Mercer. The case remains under investigation by the Opelika Police Department.
