Maurice Cole was 28 when he was found fatally shot inside a vehicle in Birmingham’s Ensley neighborhood on Sunday, August 15, 2010. At about 4:00 p.m. the car had stopped after striking a utility pole at 20th Street and Avenue I. Fire and police units initially treated the scene as a traffic crash, but a closer examination revealed a gunshot wound; the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office determined the cause of death to be the shooting.

Birmingham Police publicly asked for help from anyone with information as detectives worked to reconstruct what happened and who was responsible. The case remained unsolved for a significant period and attracted continued attention because the circumstances shifted from an apparent accident to a homicide. If anyone knew Maurice, saw activity around 20th Street and Avenue I that afternoon, or has information about the shooting, please come forward.