On October 10, 2021, Jerry Rayford, 57, was hosting a party of about 20 people at his home on Dallas County Road 33 in Orrville, Alabama when a disturbance broke out among attendees. Rayford intervened to calm the situation and asked 42-year-old Tracy Mosley to leave. Shortly afterward Mosley allegedly produced a .40 caliber handgun and opened fire. Rayford was struck multiple times and died; another guest suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. The shooting happened at about 1:30 a.m.

Dallas County Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested Tracy Mosley and charged him with murder and first-degree assault. Mosley said he acted in self-defense, but investigators reported no weapon was found on Rayford. Mosley was booked into the Dallas County Jail and denied bond.

Does anyone who attended that gathering or knew Rayford have details about what led to the confrontation?