Alexander Lee Pulliam was a 23-year-old man born and raised in Eden, North Carolina. Known to friends and family as Alex, he was survived by his father, Jody Lee Pulliam, Sr., two sisters, Michelle and Emilie, and a brother, Jody Lee Pulliam, Jr. He was preceded in death by his mother, Angela Walker Pulliam.
On the night of Saturday, July 25, 2020, a confrontation at an apartment complex on Riverside Drive ended Alex’s life. Around 10 p.m., a man named Rueben Omar Dillard waited for Alex to arrive at the complex. When Alex appeared, Dillard chased him through the parking lot and fired at least three shots from a handgun. Alex was struck in the back of the head and in the hand. One of the other bullets Dillard fired went through the window of an occupied apartment, though none of the residents were injured.
Eden police officers were dispatched to the 500 block of Riverside Drive at 10:18 p.m. following a report of a man lying on the ground.
Upon arrival, they found Alexander Lee Pulliam deceased from the gunshot wounds he had sustained.
The investigation moved swiftly, and police identified Dillard as the shooter. The following day, authorities arrested Reuben Omar Dillard, who was 24 years old at the time. He was charged with first-degree murder and discharging a weapon into occupied property. Dillard was subsequently held at the Rockingham County Jail without bail.
On May 26, 2022, Rueben Omar Dillard, then 26, pleaded guilty to the charges of second-degree murder and discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling. Authorities noted that the killing stemmed from a "petty squabble." Dillard was sentenced to a minimum of 31 years in prison, which was the maximum sentence he was eligible for under North Carolina law based on his prior criminal history. The case was closed with his conviction and sentencing in May 2022.
