Markell Sanders was a 15-year-old Black boy killed inside his home in the 4200 block of 39th Avenue North in Birmingham’s Inglenook area just after midnight on January 14, 2024. Birmingham police were dispatched about 12:16 a.m. after a 911 call reporting he had been shot; Birmingham Fire and Rescue pronounced him dead at the scene. Early reports say his mother placed the 911 call and that officers arrived to a scene of shock and grief as investigators began a homicide inquiry.

Within days detectives identified the suspect as Markell’s 13-year-old cousin and presented evidence to Jefferson County Family Court personnel, resulting in a petition for murder on January 18, 2024. A family member turned the juvenile in to the Jefferson County Youth Detention Center on January 22, 2024; the juvenile’s name was withheld. Reports do not show further public details about any indictment, trial, or conviction. Who has information about what happened that night or who knew Markell and his family?