Winter’s Silence: Alabama’s Coldest Cases

Winter has a way of stilling the world. The air sharpens, the nights lengthen, and a certain quietness settles in. In that quiet, unanswered questions linger, unresolved investigations stall, and wounds remain unhealed.

Across several decades, multiple homicide and disappearance cases in Alabama occurred during the coldest months of the year. These cases share more than their seasonal timing; they reflect patterns of investigative stagnation, community trauma, and silence that has persisted for years.

This article examines seven Alabama winter cases marked by sudden violence, incomplete investigations, and families still waiting for answers. It concludes with the killings of two Birmingham brothers, Derek and Darryl Burpo, whose unsolved homicides demonstrate how generational loss echoes across time.

Case 1: Willie Edwards Jr. (1957)

Racial Terror on the Tyler-Goodwyn Bridge

On January 23, 1957, Willie Edwards Jr., a 24-year-old husband, father, and truck driver, was abducted by members of the Ku Klux Klan in Montgomery, Alabama. The men falsely accused him of interacting with white women, who were actually his sisters.

The kidnappers drove Edwards to the Tyler-Goodwyn Bridge and ordered him to choose between being shot or jumping into the Alabama River. Faced with no real choice, he jumped. His body was recovered months later, and no one was ever held criminally accountable.

What the Media Overlooked

Coverage failed to address the systemic issues that enabled violence of this nature. Law enforcement was often intertwined with perpetrators. Grand juries repeatedly declined to indict, even when confessions surfaced decades later. Meanwhile, the emotional toll on Edwards’ family, particularly his young daughter, received little attention.

Forgotten Details

• A 1957 grand jury refused to indict despite corroborating accounts.

• A 1976 indictment was dismissed based on the argument that there was insufficient proof the jump caused death.

• Records were incomplete, with missing interviews and documentation gaps.

• A 1997 reexamination confirmed homicide by drowning.

• The Department of Justice closed the case in 2013 due to statute limitations.

  
  

Call to Action

Individuals with historical family knowledge or unrecorded information are encouraged to contact the Montgomery Police Cold Case Unit at (334) 625-2831 or the Equal Justice Initiative at https://eji.org.

Case 2: Joette and Elmer Thrasher (2001)

Homicide on Highway 195

On December 10, 2001, Joette and Elmer Thrasher were found murdered in their home in Haleyville, Alabama. Mrs. Thrasher was shot through a living room window. Mr. Thrasher was shot shortly afterward inside the home. There were no signs of struggle or forced entry. A briefcase containing unspecified documents was missing.

What the Media Overlooked

Most reporting focused on the missing briefcase. What went largely unexamined was the disappearance of Randall Harold “Randy” Whitfield just 48 hours earlier. Whitfield personally knew the Thrashers. In a low-crime rural area, two major incidents occurring within days of each other should have prompted a broader investigative approach.

Forgotten Details

• Elmer Thrasher had mentioned a financial dispute.

• A neighbor reported hearing two quiet shots, possibly from a suppressed firearm.

• Internal lock damage suggested skilled manipulation rather than forced entry.

• Early investigative theories regarding a hired professional were not pursued.

  
  

Call to Action

Anyone with information from that time period should contact the Winston County Sheriff’s Office at (205) 489-2115 or Crime Stoppers at (205) 254-7777.

Case 3: Randall Harold Whitfield (2001)

A Disappearance in Plain Sight

Randy Whitfield vanished on December 8, 2001. Inside his home, investigators found dinner on the stove, wrapped Christmas gifts, and his dog abandoned without food or water. His truck was missing, and his disappearance occurred just two days before the Thrasher murders. Given his connection to the couple, the timing is highly significant.

Community Theory and Investigative Gaps

Many local residents believe the disappearance and the Thrasher homicides are connected. Factors include proximity in time and geography, the victims’ relationship, financial disputes, and rumored illegal activity in the area. Despite substantial discussion within the community, law enforcement has made limited progress.

Volunteer teams continue searching waterways with sonar in hopes of locating Whitfield’s missing truck.

Call to Action

Those with information about Whitfield’s movements or his vehicle should contact the Haleyville Police Department at (205) 486-5201 or submit anonymous tips through https://www.solvethecase.org.

Case 4: Lt. Col. Alonzo McGhee (2013)

Targeted Ambush in Huntsville

Lt. Col. Alonzo McGhee, a decorated Army officer, was shot seventeen times outside his Huntsville home on January 4, 2013. The precision of the shooting suggested that the perpetrator had formal training and was familiar with McGhee’s daily routine.

What the Media Overlooked

Coverage appropriately honored McGhee’s military service but failed to consider the implications of the shooting’s method. Seventeen tightly grouped shots indicate substantial planning and control. McGhee had recently been granted full custody of his children, marking a significant moment in his personal life.

Forgotten Details

• A dark SUV was seen circling the area days before the homicide.

• His mail was scattered, suggesting a sudden attack.

• Shell casings were grouped in a controlled pattern.

• Colleagues mentioned recent personal tension in his life.

  
  

Call to Action

Anyone who recalls suspicious activity in the St. Clair Avenue area in early 2013 should contact the Huntsville Police Major Crimes Unit at (256) 427-7009 or Crime Stoppers at (256) 53-CRIME.

Case 5: Keldrick Talley (2016)

A Fatal Setup in Montgomery

On January 7, 2016, 27-year-old Keldrick Talley was found shot inside his vehicle in Montgomery. There was no robbery, no suspect, and very few investigative leads. According to his family, Talley may have been lured by someone he trusted. When the attempted robbery failed, he was shot.

Call to Action

Anyone with knowledge of Talley’s social circle or final movements should contact the Montgomery Police Homicide Division at (334) 625-2831 or Crime Stoppers at (334) 215-STOP.

Final Feature: Derek and Darryl Burpo (2004 and 2025)

Two Brothers, Two Murders, No Answers

The killings of Derek “Dink” Burpo in 2025 and his brother Darryl in 2004 represent one of the most concerning unresolved patterns in Birmingham’s recent history.

Derek was found outside his vehicle on a private road. His rear window had been shot out, and there were no witnesses or surveillance footage. He still had pizzas in his car which suggests he was mid-delivery.

Darryl’s case is even more challenging. Because Alabama did not fully transition to standardized digital case records until years later, much of the documentation from 2004 is incomplete or missing.

What the Media Overlooked

Reports covered each homicide individually but never addressed the broader pattern. Two brothers from the same family were murdered in the same city under unresolved circumstances. The absence of a connected investigation raises significant questions.

Forgotten Details

• Derek had routine plans for the following day.

• His phone showed communication with an unidentified individual.

• A neighbor heard a vehicle accelerate quickly near the time of the shooting.

• Anonymous tips exist for both murders but were not aggressively followed up on.

• Neither case involved robbery.

• Derek’s mother was in the process of updating beneficiary documents.

  
  

Call to Action

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Birmingham Police Cold Case Unit at (205) 254-1764 or Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama at (205) 254-7777.

Conclusion

These seven Alabama winter cases reveal a troubling pattern of silence, stalled investigations, and unresolved trauma. Though separated by decades, each case illustrates failures in communication, resource allocation, and systemic follow-through.

Winter preserves things: photographs, memories, evidence, and wounds. Silence preserves injustice. Yet truth does not disappear. It waits beneath layers of fear, negligence, and time.

If you know something, even something that seems insignificant, you may hold the missing piece needed to advance one of these cases.

References

Equal Justice Initiative. (n.d.). Historical reports on racial terror lynchings. https://eji.org

Huntsville Alabama Government. (2023). $25K reward offered in 2013 homicide of Lt. Col. McGhee. https://www.huntsvilleal.gov

Montgomery Advertiser. (2016). Ridgecrest Street shooting victim identified. https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com

Solve the Case. (n.d.). Randall Harold Whitfield case file. https://www.solvethecase.org/case/2001-3/randall-harold-whitfield

U.S. Department of Justice. (n.d.). Notice to close file: Willie Edwards Jr. https://www.justice.gov/crt/case-document/willie-edwards-jr-notice-close-file

WBRC News. (2021, December 10). Winston County family pleads for answers after loved ones murdered. https://www.wbrc.com/2021/12/10/winston-co-family-pleads-answers-after-loved-ones-murdered-two-decades-ago/

WAFF 48 News. (2025). People coming forward after reward in Lt. Col. McGhee case. https://www.waff.com

Whnt.com. (2023). Who killed Lieutenant Colonel Alonzo McGhee? Investigators still pushing for answers almost 13 years later. https://whnt.com/news/huntsville/who-killed-lieutenant-colonel-alonzo-mcghee-investigators-still-pushing-for-answers-almost-13-years-later/

WSFA 12 News. (2023). Montgomery’s first murder of 2016 still unsolved. https://www.wsfa.com

WVTM 13 News. (2021). Family seeks closure 20 years after beloved couple’s murder. https://www.wvtm13.com

Zinn Education Project. (n.d.). Klan forces man to jump from bridge — Jan. 23, 1957. https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/klan-forces-man-jump/