Lance McDowdell, 25, was found with a fatal gunshot wound in the driveway of an apartment complex near 44th Street and Thomas Road in Phoenix in the early morning hours of December 20, 2019. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but died of his injuries. McDowdell was a defensive lineman for the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League.

Phoenix police identified 28-year-old Christopher Verland Ayers III as a suspect and arrested him in January 2020 on suspicion of second-degree murder while he was already in custody on unrelated charges. Investigators reported cellphone tracking that placed Ayers near the scene and fingerprints on the firearm believed to be the murder weapon. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office later returned the case to Phoenix police for more investigation, and by late 2020 Ayers had not been formally charged in McDowdell’s death. The motive remains unclear.

Anyone who knew McDowdell or has information about what happened that night is asked to come forward.