In the autumn of 2020, a simple act of kindness tragically cut short the life of Lamar Dontaye Whittaker, a 35-year-old man from Phenix City, Alabama. On the afternoon of October 17th, Whittaker was at the intersection of 10th Avenue South and 4th Place South when he noticed a stranded motorist and stopped to help. As he was working on the broken-down vehicle, gunfire suddenly erupted in the area.
Investigators have determined that Whittaker was not the intended target of the shooting.
He was found next to the car he had stopped to assist, an innocent victim caught in the crossfire. His death left behind a son and a community that remembered him for his kind heart and his active involvement in local sports.
Years later, the case remains unsolved, and the Phenix City Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division continues to actively seek information from the public that could lead to an arrest. Central Alabama CrimeStoppers has offered a $5,000 cash reward for any information that brings closure to Whittaker's family and justice for his untimely death. Despite the passage of time, law enforcement and his loved ones still await answers in the search for those responsible for the death of a man who was simply trying to help someone in need.
