Tony Alston

Tony Alston, a man known to many as Toni, was a beloved brother and a fixture in his Charlotte, North Carolina, community. Born on October 2, 1965, the 44-year-old Black man was remembered by his family as a "star" and a bright person who lifted the spirits of everyone around him. For more than two decades, Tony had lived as a woman. His sisters, Donielle Prophete and Kim Pitter, described him as a supportive sibling they loved unconditionally. A dedicated employee, Tony was known as a workaholic who managed several Family Dollar stores in Charlotte and had recently earned another promotion. Neighbors and police noted his kindness, recalling how he often helped local people experiencing homelessness.

The quiet of a spring night was shattered just after midnight on Saturday, April 3, 2010. At his home on Minnesota Road in West Charlotte, Tony answered a knock at his front door and was shot. Gravely wounded, he managed to make his way to a neighbor's home to get help. Before succumbing to his injuries, Tony was able to give police a brief description of his attacker: a Black man wearing a gray T-shirt. Emergency services transported him to Carolinas Medical Center-Main, where he was pronounced dead.

The investigation was launched by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, with homicide detectives trying to piece together the final hours of Tony’s life. Investigators initially considered that the motive might have been an attempted robbery, but that theory seemed unlikely when they found the inside of his home untouched, with no signs of forced entry or theft. Detectives collected physical evidence from the scene and began the arduous process of sifting through Tony’s cell phone records. They learned he had been texting and talking with a number of acquaintances in the hours leading up to his death and hoped those communications would provide a lead.

Detective Bill Ward of the CMPD told reporters that while there was no immediate evidence to classify the murder as a hate crime, it remained a possibility. The case was wide open, and investigators were exploring every angle, from a personal dispute to a robbery gone wrong. Tony's family, who traveled from New York, made an emotional public plea for information. "He was just a star, a bright person to be around," his sister Kim Pitter said. "We need closure. Just the burden of it all. He passed is one thing, but to know that the person is still out there -- it hurts."

Months after the killing, Tony's sister Donielle Prophete met with detectives to ensure the case was still a priority. "I just want to know that they're working as hard on this case as everybody else's case," she said. Captain Rod Golding of the homicide unit assured her, "We haven't forgotten about the case." He confirmed that investigators were still actively seeking leads. The family expressed the deep pain of not knowing who committed the act or why. "All the time we have to walk around knowing somebody just walked around here and killed him," Donielle said. "We don't know who to trust."

As of October 2010, the investigation into Tony Alston’s murder remained active but without any named suspects or arrests. His death was one of 11 unsolved homicides in Charlotte-Mecklenburg that year. The case has since grown cold, leaving his loved ones without the justice they have sought for over a decade. Police continue to ask for the public's help. Anyone with information is urged to call the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's homicide unit at 704-432-TIPS or to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.