In the summer of 2022, the life of 18-year-old Randon Lee, a male resident of Mobile, Alabama, was cut tragically short. On the evening of June 24, the day before he would have turned 19, Lee was shot and killed at a gas station in Prichard. The incident was not a random act of violence but the fatal outcome of a purported marijuana deal. Lee had arranged to meet at least two individuals to sell them marijuana, a transaction that had reportedly occurred between them in the past.
Surveillance footage from the gas station captured a man exiting a black vehicle and getting into Lee's car. A single shot was fired, and the man was then seen returning to the black car, which sped away. Though wounded, Lee managed to drive his vehicle across the street to another gas station, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The news of his violent death sent shockwaves through the community and gained national attention, largely due to his mother, TikTok creator Ophelia Nichols, known to her followers as 'Mama Tot.' In the wake of her son's murder, she made a heart-wrenching plea to her millions of followers for any information that could lead to the capture of his killer.
The investigation into Randon Lee's death led authorities to 20-year-old Reuben Thomas Gulley of Saraland, Alabama. In August 2022, Gulley turned himself in to the Mobile County Jail and was subsequently charged with murder. During a preliminary hearing, it was revealed that Gulley had called Lee just minutes before the fatal shooting. A detective also testified that, according to Lee's girlfriend, Lee had previously purchased drugs from Gulley. The court found probable cause to send the case to a grand jury.
In the years following his arrest, Reuben Gulley has remained in Mobile Metro Jail without bond. In late 2025, prosecutors offered him a plea deal to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, with a recommended sentence of 17 additional years in custody. However, Gulley rejected this offer, maintaining his innocence. His trial for the murder of Randon Lee was subsequently scheduled for February 2026.
