In the quiet town of Rogersville, Alabama, a dispute on a December afternoon shattered the peace and ended a life. Larry Wayne Simpson Jr., a 37-year-old man, was shot and killed on December 15, 2021, following an argument at the Elk River Village Apartments. The incident, which was described by the local police chief as an isolated event and the town's first homicide in years, stemmed from what was believed to be a botched drug deal.
Authorities were called to the apartment complex on
Lambs Ferry Road after reports of shots being fired. Upon arrival, they discovered Simpson in the parking lot, suffering from a single gunshot wound inflicted by a large-caliber handgun. Emergency medical personnel rendered aid at the scene before transporting him to North Alabama Medical Center, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect, 22-year-old Curtis James Sherrer, also of Rogersville. Sherrer, who was described as an acquaintance of Simpson, surrendered to the police. He informed investigators that he and Simpson had been involved in an argument prior to the shooting. A warrant was later executed at a residence on Lamar Road, where police recovered an unloaded. 45 caliber handgun believed to be the weapon used in the shooting. Sherrer was subsequently arrested and charged with murder.
Initially facing a murder trial scheduled to begin in December 2024, Curtis James Sherrer opted to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Following his plea, he was sentenced to a 20-year split sentence. This sentence requires him to serve three years in prison, which will be followed by two years of felony supervision in a local detention center.
