On a Saturday afternoon in Birmingham, Alabama, the life of 32-year-old Rodriquez Dreke Jerrell Powell, a Black / African American male, was tragically cut short. On September 3, 2022, Powell and his 35-year-old cousin, Justin Taylor, were seated in a Ford Mustang in the 4200 block of Inglenook Street. After spending part of the day working at Brother's Recycling and visiting the mall, they were outside Powell's girlfriend's house when violence erupted.
Around 1:45 p.m., a small sedan
reportedly drove past their parked vehicle, and an occupant inside opened fire, unleashing a hail of more than twenty bullets. When Birmingham Police Department officers arrived at the scene, they found both men suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Powell, who was in the passenger seat, was pronounced deceased at the scene, having barely made it out of the car. Taylor, the driver, was rushed to UAB Hospital with life-threatening injuries but was later pronounced dead.
The double homicide investigation remains ongoing, and as of September 2023, no arrests had been made in connection with the killings. The Birmingham Police Department has continued to appeal to the public for any information that could lead to the identification and apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the deaths of Powell and Taylor. The case remains an unsolved crime that brought profound grief to their families, particularly Powell's mother, for whom this was the third son she had lost to violence in the city.
