In the early morning hours of February 6, 2019, the quiet of a Valley, Alabama mobile home park was shattered by a grim discovery. Fletcher Lewayne Tolbert, a 35-year-old Black/African American male, was found deceased on the porch of his residence in the County Line Mobile Home Park. The cause of his untimely death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds to his torso.
Authorities were alerted to the scene by a 911 call that morning.
Upon their arrival, Lee County Sheriff's deputies found Tolbert's body. The investigation that followed revealed a timeline of the preceding night's events. Neighbors recalled hearing several gunshots around 11:00 p.m. on February 5th, though no calls were made to the police at that time. It was later learned that Tolbert had just completed his shift at Mando America Corporation in Opelika at 11:00 p.m., suggesting the tragic events unfolded shortly after he returned home.
Fletcher Tolbert was a father and was remembered by those who knew him as a loving son, brother, and a man of God with a great sense of humor. He was a graduate of Bullock County High School and had earned an Associate's Degree in Engineering and Design Technology from Southern Union State Community College. His death was one of several fatal shootings in the Valley area, raising concerns within the community about gun violence.
Following the discovery, Tolbert's body was sent to the Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for a post-mortem examination. The Lee County Sheriff's Office has been actively investigating the homicide and has urged the public to come forward with any information that might lead to the apprehension of those responsible. To date, the case remains under investigation, and no arrests have been publicly announced, leaving a community and a grieving family searching for answers and justice for a life cut tragically short.
