In the early hours of March 24, 2018, the atmosphere at BJ's Lounge in Opelika, Alabama, turned from lively to tragic. Inside the Staley Avenue nightclub, 35-year-old Carnelious Richmond, an African American man known affectionately to friends and family as 'Chino,' 'Chiweezy,' and 'Neil,' was shot multiple times. The incident occurred shortly after 1:00 AM, prompting a swift response from Opelika Police, Fire, and EMS personnel.
Despite their life-saving efforts, Richmond was pronounced dead at the scene.
A well-known resident of Opelika, Carnelious Richmond was born in Lee County on May 25, 1982. He attended Opelika High School and was remembered as a kind and down-to-earth man who brought laughter to those around him. A father to four daughters, his sudden death sent ripples of grief through the community.
In the days that followed the shooting, the investigation into Richmond's death led authorities to a primary suspect: 27-year-old Michael Benford. In a significant development, Benford turned himself in to Opelika Police detectives and was subsequently arrested. He made his first court appearance shortly after his arrest, where a Lee County judge determined there was sufficient evidence to find probable cause for the charges against him. The case was then scheduled to be presented to a grand jury for further consideration.
