Richard Bernard Smith, 59, was killed in the predawn hours of December 1, 2015, after being shot just steps from his home on 81st Place South in Birmingham, Alabama. Police were called about 3:45 a.m. and found Smith inside the residence; officers say he had been walking back from a store when two men approached him near the house.

Accounts of the encounter vary: one police account says words were exchanged and Smith was shot as he tried to get back inside. Another describes a demand for money by two armed men who ordered Smith and a friend into the house; as Smith attempted to close the door the gunfire began. Witnesses reported the suspects fled in a dark-colored vehicle. Two people were taken into custody for questioning in the initial hours, but no charges had been announced and reporting focused on reconstructing the doorway shooting and the suspects’ escape.

Did anyone in Birmingham see a dark-colored vehicle or those men near 81st Place South around 3:45 a.m. on December 1, 2015?