Letaris Franklin

In the spring of 2025, the life of Letaris Demonds-Lapri Franklin, a 27-year-old Black man, was cut short by violence in Birmingham, Alabama. On the afternoon of April 9, residents of an apartment complex in the 2100 block of 29th Avenue North reported hearing several shots fired. Officers from the Birmingham Police Department responded to the 911 calls, but after canvassing the area and speaking with community members, they were unable to pinpoint the source of the gunfire.

The next day, April 10, family members became concerned after being unable to see or hear from Franklin. They went to his apartment for a welfare check and, after forcing entry, found him inside suffering from a gunshot wound. Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel arrived on the scene around 5:10 p.m. and pronounced him deceased. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office later stated its belief that Franklin had been shot on the afternoon of April 9.

The Birmingham Police Department launched a homicide investigation. Detectives and patrol officers conducted follow-up investigations, and the preliminary findings suggested that Franklin’s apartment had been specifically targeted by the assailant or assailants. For months, authorities worked to piece together the evidence and identify who was responsible for the shooting.

The investigation led to an arrest five months later. On September 23, 2025, BPD homicide detectives interviewed a suspect. The following day, police charged Tavares Tre Von Nelson, a 22-year-old from Birmingham, with capital murder in connection with Letaris Franklin's death.

Following the charge, Nelson was held in federal custody in Talladega, Alabama, without bond. As of September 2025, the case against him was pending litigation.