Michael Charles Richard, 46, was found shot to death in his vehicle on the evening of December 30, 2021, in the parking lot of the Knights Inn, a vacant motel in Bessemer, Alabama. A Hoover resident, Richard was a known urban explorer who shared his visits to abandoned sites on social media; friends remembered him as kind and adventurous.

The Bessemer Police Department quickly classified the case as a homicide. Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama is offering up to a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and is accepting anonymous tips.

Who knew Michael or saw activity around the Knights Inn that night?