Terrance Yancey

Do you know who murdered Terrance Yancey?
Terrance L. Yancey, a 31-year-old Black man, was remembered by his mother for a smile that could light up a room. His mother, Edie Cole, acknowledged that while her son had a "bad side," he was also a good-hearted and loving person who loved with his whole heart. She candidly shared her belief that her own past struggles with drugs had influenced her son's life path, stating, "My son saw me selling drugs, he saw me do drugs, and that's all he knew because that's all he seen his mother do." She took accountability for his choices, explaining that he "became a man at the age of 8." Though he had an extensive criminal history and an active bench warrant at the time of his death, his family remembers the man who made mistakes but was deeply loved.

In the quiet, pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, July 10, 2013, the sound of multiple gunshots shattered the peace on the 1800 block of Dixdale Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky's Algonquin neighborhood. Just before 5 a.m., around 4:45, MetroSafe received an emergency call reporting the shooting. When Louisville Metro Police Department officers arrived, they found Terrance Yancey unresponsive outside his home. He had been shot multiple times all over his body and was pronounced dead at the scene. Yancey had only recently moved to the neighborhood, having lived in the home for just a month or two. One neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, recalled hearing what she first thought was a car blowout, but the sound just kept going. Police confirmed that multiple shots were fired in the street.

As police cordoned off the area, a devastating scene unfolded when Yancey's loved ones began to arrive. Dozens of friends and family members gathered behind the police tape, many overcome with emotion as they learned of his death. Hours later, after investigators had cleared the scene, those who cared for him flocked to the spot where he had taken his last breaths. One person collapsed in grief and had to be helped up, while a steady stream of people stopped by to offer comfort and remember the young man whose life had been violently cut short. Neighbors told reporters that they didn't know Yancey well but that there had been no trouble at his home since he moved in. For many residents, the shooting was a shocking intrusion; one neighbor noted it was the first shooting on that block in more than 15 years.

The Louisville Metro Police Department's Homicide Unit immediately launched an investigation. Detectives canvassed the Algonquin neighborhood, speaking with residents to see what they might have heard or seen in the moments leading up to the shooting. An LMPD spokeswoman, Alicia Smiley, explained that investigators would need to speak with Yancey's relatives, friends, and associates to get a better understanding of his background and what might have led to the killing. Despite their efforts and a public plea for information, police were unable to identify any suspects in the immediate aftermath of the murder.

Three years after her son was killed, Edie Cole sat on a park bench outside her church and spoke about her ongoing wait for justice. She recalled the phone call that changed her life: "They said my son had been shot." With the killer still not caught, she expressed the pain and her struggle to find peace through her faith. "I mean, having a relationship with God, I'm learning to forgive. It hurts. And I'm learning to forgive," she said. Cole had a message for the person who took her son's life, urging them to find their own redemption. "Just turn yourself in or talk to God. Do something to change your life if you never get caught for my son's death," she pleaded.

The case of Terrance Yancey's murder remains unsolved. His death is a profound loss for his family, which has since experienced further tragedy. Obituaries for his brother, Terry Lee Yancey, who passed away in 2026, and his nephew, Antonio Lamontez Porter, who died in 2022, list Terrance as having preceded them in death. As of July 2016, the third anniversary of the homicide, no arrests had been made, and his killer had not been brought to justice. The Louisville Metro Police Department continues to ask for the public's help. Anyone with information about the shooting death of Terrance Yancey is urged to call the anonymous LMPD Crime Tip Line at 502-574-LMPD (5673).