In the pre-dawn hours of February 1, 2025, 35-year-old Decarlious Emerson Smith was found fatally shot inside his white 2010 Mazda 3 in the 2200 block of Eveningview Drive in northeast Memphis. Officers responding to a call around 3:07 a.m. discovered him unresponsive; he was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have been made and authorities have not identified any suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Known as Emerson, he was born May 4, 1989, to Decarlious and Pimberly Smith. Family remembered him as a former hockey player, a talented artist, a car enthusiast, an animal lover, a husband to Amanda Smith and a stepfather to three children, someone who walked to the beat of his own drum. The circumstances that led to the shooting remain unclear and his family is awaiting answers.

If anyone in northeast Memphis that night saw or heard anything related to the incident, please share information with the Memphis Police Department.