Alexis Moss was a 19-year-old Alabama State University sophomore who loved fashion, movies, and doing her makeup. Her family described the Black teenager as someone who loved everybody and loved to have fun. In September 2019, she was in Montgomery, Alabama, beginning her second year of college.
In the early hours of September 7, 2019, Alexis was at a large, off-campus homecoming party at a house on Spruce Street.
Around 1:10 a.m., an altercation broke out among some of the people gathered, and shots were fired. Alexis, who police said was an innocent bystander and not involved in the dispute, was struck by gunfire. Her family said she was shot twice in the head. She was taken to a local hospital in a private vehicle, where she was listed in critical condition. A second woman at the party also sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Despite medical efforts, Alexis Moss died from her injuries on the evening of September 9, 2019.
The Montgomery Police Department’s investigation quickly led to a suspect. On September 12, police arrested 23-year-old William Slater and charged him with murder. At the time of his arrest, Slater was reportedly free on bond after being charged in a separate shooting that had injured a person just a month earlier.
In November 2019, Slater appeared in court for a preliminary hearing. An investigator testified that a shell casing found near the scene of the shooting matched a gun Slater owned. However, Slater’s attorney argued that there was no proof he was the shooter or had instigated the violence. After reviewing the evidence, District Judge Tiffany McCord ruled there was insufficient probable cause to tie Slater to the death of Alexis Moss. The judge dismissed the reckless murder charge against him.
Although the charge was dismissed, authorities noted the case could still be presented to a Montgomery County grand jury. As of November 2019, no other arrests had been made, and the case remains unsolved. Police ask anyone with information about the shooting of Alexis Moss to call the Secret Witness Line at 334-625-4000 or CrimeStoppers at 215-STOP.
