Lee Ziegler was killed on the night of July 26, 2020, after gunfire erupted at a Montgomery gas station on West Fairview Avenue. Police and fire medics were dispatched to the 2200 block at about 10:00 p.m. and found him suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. He died at the scene shortly after officers arrived, turning what began as an emergency call into a homicide investigation that would haunt the stretch of roadway where it happened.
In the hours and days that followed, investigators worked to piece together what happened at the station and who had been there when the shots were fired. Information released publicly described the location more precisely as 2244 West Fairview Avenue, and later reporting would emphasize the narrow window of time between the shooting and his death. The case was counted among a grim tally of killings in the city that year, but the initial public update offered little beyond the basic facts: the circumstances were still under investigation, and detectives were still looking for answers.
As the investigation continued, police attention centered on a vehicle tied to the killing. Authorities asked the public for help identifying a blue Ford Expedition associated with the case, describing it as having a switched Alabama license plate and urging anyone who recognized it—or knew who typically drove it—to come forward. Reports noted that the SUV was last seen being driven by a woman, and the request for tips framed her as someone who could be a key to understanding who was involved and how the shooter got away.
By mid-August 2020, the push for leads intensified, with police and CrimeStoppers amplifying appeals for information about the Expedition and whoever had access to it around the time of the shooting. A reward was offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction, underscoring how crucial investigators believed public tips could be. Even with the vehicle description in circulation and renewed attention on the case, the public-facing updates did not announce any named suspect, and no arrest was reported in those official appeals.
Years later, the killing was still being discussed as an unsolved case, a death that began with flashing lights on West Fairview and ended without public closure. A 2024 follow-up described the investigation as still seeking the person responsible and noted that, despite the release of investigative leads such as images related to the suspect vehicle, the breakthrough needed to identify and charge the killer had not been made public. In the available reporting and law-enforcement updates, there were no publicly confirmed arrests, charges, trials, or convictions connected to his death.
