A neighbor dispute in North Memphis turned deadly on the evening of July 2, 2020, when 68-year-old James Terry Dowdy was shot after being lured outside by his car being set on fire in his driveway on Lake Grove Street. Witnesses said a neighbor, 53-year-old L.A. ’Popeye’ Parrish, was seen approaching Dowdy’s house carrying a pistol and a gas can, then setting the car ablaze and waiting for Dowdy to come out before shooting him multiple times. First responders found Dowdy suffering from his injuries and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Parrish was taken into custody a short time later at a nearby residence. He was later indicted on first-degree murder, setting fire to personal property, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The District Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit was assigned to the case. There is a clear sequence from arson as a lure to the fatal shooting, but questions remain about the dispute that led to this escalation.

Did anyone in the neighborhood know Dowdy or Parrish and can provide more detail about the dispute or that evening?