In the summer of 2017, the city of Flint, Michigan, was rocked by a home invasion that ended in the tragic death of 63-year-old Albert Ballard. On the morning of July 11, five young men broke into Ballard's home. The male victim was confronted by two of the intruders while others went upstairs and assaulted his wife. In an act of bravery, Ballard, a retired General Motors employee, managed to shoot one of the assailants in an effort to protect himself and his wife.
The struggle continued upstairs where Ballard was fatally shot while defending his wife.
The aftermath of the violent encounter saw a swift response from law enforcement. Two of the suspects, including the one who had been wounded by Ballard, were apprehended a short distance from the crime scene after they were involved in a car crash. This led to the eventual arrest of four men, aged 17 to 20, who were subsequently charged with murder and home invasion. A fifth suspect was also sought in connection with the crime.
The legal proceedings brought a measure of justice for the Ballard family. In May 2019, four of the young men involved were sentenced for their roles in the fatal home invasion. Jordan William Alexander, Zicary Lamar Carpenter, Tyler Jameil Pagel, and Joshua Jeremiah Eubanks all received lengthy prison sentences of at least 23 years. Alexander was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder. A fifth man, Dre Shavon Jones, had been previously sentenced to a minimum of 27 years in prison. During the sentencing, Ballard's daughter, April Bigelow, remembered her father as a man who 'fought for what was right,' stating that he was 'out-numbered and out-matched' in his final moments.
