Lewis Woodall

Lewis Cardell Woodall, a 58-year-old Black man from Montgomery, Alabama, was known to friends as "Lboogie" and is remembered by his children as an outspoken person who is deeply missed. A father to five children, Mr. Woodall had attended Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery. His life was part of the fabric of the city where he grew up, but it was cut short by an act of violence on a Sunday afternoon in the new year.

The incident occurred on January 15, 2023. At approximately 2:48 p.m., Montgomery Police and fire medics were dispatched to the 3000 block of Willena Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered Lewis Woodall with a life-threatening gunshot wound. First responders immediately began to render aid and swiftly transported him to a local hospital for emergency care. Despite the urgent efforts of medical professionals, Mr. Woodall's injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. His death marked another homicide in a city grappling with gun violence.

The Montgomery Police Department promptly opened a homicide investigation. Detectives began processing the scene on Willena Avenue, a residential street in the northwestern part of the city, working to determine the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting. While authorities did not publicly release details about a potential motive or what precipitated the violence, their investigation quickly pointed toward a suspect.

Within a short period, investigators identified 44-year-old John Spooney, also a resident of Montgomery, as the individual allegedly responsible for Mr. Woodall's death. Police arrested Spooney and formally charged him with one count of murder. Following his arrest, Spooney was taken into custody and booked into the Montgomery County Detention Facility. Officials did not comment on the relationship, if any, between Spooney and Woodall, leaving questions about the encounter unanswered as the case moved from an active investigation to the judicial system.

The loss was felt most profoundly by Mr. Woodall’s family. On a memorial page created in his honor, his children left messages that spoke to their grief and love. His daughter wrote, "He is truly missed love always his daughter," while his son added a simple, heartfelt message: "I Miss You Pops." These tributes paint a picture of a father whose sudden absence left a painful void in the lives of his loved ones. The community was left to mourn another resident lost to violence, while a family began the difficult process of navigating life without him.

As of the latest reports from January 2023, the case against John Spooney was proceeding through the Alabama court system. The swift arrest by the Montgomery Police Department brought the investigation to a resolution, transitioning the search for answers into a formal legal process. The case is now a matter of open litigation, with the final outcome to be decided in a court of law. For the family of Lewis Woodall, the legal proceedings represent the next step in their long and difficult journey toward finding justice for a man they loved and lost.