Parents plead for answers in son’s unsolved murder, claim no response from police
By Michal Higdon
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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — A mother is begging for a response from the Birmingham Police Department.
Roderick Gray Jr. died three years ago on October 15, 2022. He was shot outside a club in downtown Birmingham and his mom, Myrtis Piggue, says she has heard nothing from police.
He was found in an alleyway outside of Playhouse Gentleman’s Club on 4th Street. While a person of interest was detained that night, no one has been charged.
Roderick Gray Sr. remembers that day like it was yesterday.
“Even to this day we don’t even have the coroner’s report because when we try and get the coroner’s report they were saying, ‘Oh, it’s an active investigation,'” Gray Sr. says.
Piggue says she hasn’t heard from Birmingham police since last year when she got an email saying security video from three cameras was collected from the area. They say a possible suspect vehicle was seen leaving the area but it was a common make and model and difficult to track. Police say the four shell casings collected from the scene were not found to be connected to any other crime.
Since that email, Piggue says she has called and emailed repeatedly for an update.
“They never responded to us,” Piggue says. ” We never got a call back or anything. Nothing. And then when I continually called back, I found out that a couple of the people that were working on the case are not even there anymore, so I need another person. It’s just been the run around the whole time.”
We’re approaching the anniversary of his death and even just doing this interview is hard because I have to spend most of the year trying to find a way to deal with it,” Gray Sr. says.
Piggue says she appreciates the new chief’s effort to deter criminal activity but she has a message for him.
“We applaud his effort in regards to crack down on crime because that’s that’s something that Birmingham needs,” Piggue says. But don’t forget the people at the crimes that have already been committed… Don’t forget about the people that are still here trying to get answers.”
Piggue says she just wants to know that someone is at least still working on this case.
Now, three years since their son lost his life they want to keep his memory alive.
“Mystic,” Piggue says. “His father nicknamed him that because he was a mystery. And he truly lived up to his name because he was a real himself type person. And once he got to know you, he was like the life of the party. He was just a real warm, loving person.”
I reached out to the Birmingham Police Department as well to get an update and talk with the detective over the case but have not received a response.
Piggue and Gray Sr. are begging, if you know anything about the case, to please come forward. If you have any information, police ask you to contact the B.P.D. Homicide Unit at 205-254-1764 or CrimeStoppers at 205-254-7777.
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