Prichard investigators: 2 of 3 weekend homicides may have drug ties

PRICHARD, Ala. ( WKRG ) — Three separate shootings left three people dead in Prichard in less than 24 hours over the weekend.

Investigators said the motives in some of these cases include drug ties.

“This is something that needs to have immediate attention because there are those who are out there who could care less about their communities,” Prichard Mayor Jimmie Gardner expressed.

The first homicide this weekend occurred Saturday night on Telegraph Road.

When Prichard police officers arrived, they found Donta Evans, 33, of Galveston, Texas.

“Our investigation has showed that this gentleman has come down here to do a drug transaction, you know, unfortunately, caused his demise,” Lt. Robert Martin with Prichard Police explained.

The next homicide occurred almost 12 hours later around 10:30 a.m. Sunday on Hobbs Avenue. Police found Darius Bee in a car.

Two hours later, police found Justin Slater, 35, on the side of the road on W. Main St and S. Bessemer Ave.

Lt. Martin with Prichard Police said Slater’s death might have had drug ties.

“If you’re doing drug deals, it’s always three key components in drug deals,” he explained. “You’re gonna have drugs. You’re going to have money, and you’re going to have a weapon, so any time you have those three components in a homicide, we pretty much know what it was about.”

Even though investigators believe two of the three homicides had drug ties, they don’t believe that any of the homicides are connected at this time.

“We still have to investigate every aspect of all three and see if they have any connectivity to each other,” he explained. “But I don’t believe they are connected in any kind of way.”

After seeing the amount of violence in Prichard over the weekend, Mayor Gardner said a much larger conversation needs to take place.

“Let’s help each other in these matters as it relates to these unfortunate too often homicides that are taking place in our community,” he pleaded. “You deserve better, the community deserves better, and these families deserve better.”

So far, no arrests have been made in any of the three cases.

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