Taylor Dickins, 28, was found dead inside his car in a downtown Reno alleyway on December 6, 2021. Officers who responded to the scene found Dickins suffering from at least one gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at the scene and the death was ruled a homicide.

Investigators say the shooting occurred during a pre-arranged meeting for a drug transaction. The buyer, identified as Ladonn Lee, reportedly arrived in a distinctive BMW noted for a unique sticker in place of a license plate and a missing piece of black molding. Two men exited that BMW and one fired into the driver’s side window. Police say they recovered fingerprints and DNA from the BMW, an associate identified Lee as the shooter, and jail phone calls included statements by Lee that discussed nonpublic details of the killing.

Lee was located and arrested in Salt Lake City, Utah, returned to Nevada, and prosecuted. The case against him included video and phone evidence of the meeting, physical evidence linking him to the BMW, witness testimony, and his recorded statements. The Nevada Supreme Court affirmed Lee’s conviction and sentencing on February 13, 2024.

Did anyone in Reno that night see a BMW matching that description or notice anyone else in the alley?