Sometimes a cold case begins with a complicated mystery.

Sometimes it begins with something much simpler.

A person was home.

Someone came to that home.

A gun was fired.

And a life was changed forever.

For Alonzo Rodgers, November 24, 2021 was supposed to be another day.

Instead, it became the beginning of a story that his family and friends have been forced to live with for years.

Alonzo was 30 years old when he was shot inside a home on Nichols Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee.

He survived the initial shooting.

But four days later, he died from his injuries.

Today, his murder remains unsolved.

And somewhere out there is information that investigators still need.

The cases may be cold.

The questions are still burning.

THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 24

It was just before 10 p.m. on November 24, 2021.

Thanksgiving was the next day.

For many families, this would have been a time for food, family, football, music and laughter.

But that night, Knoxville Police Department officers were called to a home in the 2800 block of Nichols Avenue.

Something terrible had happened.

According to Knoxville Police, an unknown person had fired into the residence, striking Alonzo Rodgers at least once.

Alonzo was seriously wounded.

He was transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center where doctors fought to save his life.

But his injuries were too severe.

Four days later, on November 28, 2021, Alonzo died.

And just like that, a shooting investigation became a homicide investigation.

WHO WAS ALONZO RODGERS?

This is the part of a cold case that I think we sometimes forget.

Before someone becomes a name on a police department’s unsolved murder page, they were a person.

They had people who loved them.

They had plans.

They had things they wanted to accomplish.

Alonzo was known by friends and family as Zo.

And according to people who knew him, music was a huge part of his life.

He was a singer and a member of Knoxville’s Good Guy Collective.

Friends described his voice as powerful and unforgettable.

Nathan Tipton, a fellow member of the group, remembered Alonzo’s voice as one of the best he had ever heard. Another friend, Colby Earles, described his voice as “magic.”

Alonzo was also the son of a pastor.

In an interview about how he became involved with singing, Alonzo talked about getting his musical influence from his father.

That tells me something important.

Music was not simply something Alonzo did.

It was part of who he was.

And his friends did not remember him only for his music.

They remembered his personality.

His heart.

His humor.

His presence.

His family.

His community.

A LIFE THAT WAS STILL BEING BUILT

Alonzo was only 30.

Thirty.

Think about that for a moment.

At 30, there is still so much life ahead.

There are birthdays that have not happened yet.

Songs that have not been written.

Places that have not been visited.

Memories that have not been made.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Alonzo was a dedicated family man and a Freemason. He was also involved with the local music community and was planning a Valentine’s Day ball for his fraternal organization before his death.

He was also a cook and loved barbecue.

One friend told the Knoxville News Sentinel that Alonzo was smoking a turkey the night he was shot.

That detail really sticks with me.

Because suddenly this isn’t just November 24, 2021.

It’s a man at home, preparing food.

It’s Thanksgiving.

It’s family.

It’s music.

It’s life.

And then gunfire.

THE INVESTIGATION

Knoxville Police investigators immediately began working the shooting.

According to the department, the person who fired the shots was unknown.

No suspect was arrested or charged in the immediate aftermath.

Investigators said they were pursuing active leads and asked anyone who had information to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers.

But years have passed.

And the case remains open.

East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers continues to list the case as unsolved.

In a 2022 appeal, investigators made a simple request.

If you know who shot Zo, come forward.

And even if you don’t know everything, tell investigators what you do know.

Because sometimes a cold case isn’t waiting for one giant piece of evidence.

Sometimes it is waiting for several small pieces to finally connect.

THE MUSIC DIDN’T STOP

After Alonzo’s death, his friends refused to allow his memory to disappear.

In January 2022, the Knoxville music community held a tribute show honoring him.

The event brought together musicians, friends and people who knew Alonzo.

His voice was still heard through recordings and music videos.

He could no longer stand on stage.

But his music could.

That is something I find incredibly powerful.

A person can be taken from us.

But the things they created can remain.

Their photographs remain.

Their voice remains.

Their friends remember their jokes.

Their family remembers their laugh.

Their music remains.

And their name remains.

MY CRIMINAL JUSTICE PERSPECTIVE

Now I want to be very clear about something.

The following are my personal theories and investigative questions as a Criminal Justice major.

They are not facts.

I am not accusing anyone.

I am not suggesting that any particular person committed this crime.

These are simply the questions I would want investigators to continue examining.

Theory One: Was Alonzo specifically targeted?

This is one of the first questions I would ask.

Police reported that an unknown person fired into the residence.

That makes me wonder whether this was a random act of violence or whether Alonzo was specifically targeted.

If someone intentionally went to that residence looking for him, investigators would want to understand why.

I would take another comprehensive look at Alonzo’s relationships, friendships, professional connections and any disputes or conflicts he may have had in the weeks and months before the shooting.

Not because having an argument makes someone responsible for a murder.

It doesn’t.

But understanding relationships can sometimes help investigators understand motive.

Theory Two: Someone may have known exactly where Alonzo was

The fact that the shooting happened at a residence makes me wonder about the shooter’s knowledge.

Did someone know Alonzo would be there?

Did someone know his routine?

Did someone know the house?

Did someone know who else might be inside?

Those questions could potentially help establish whether the shooting was opportunistic or planned.

I would want investigators to reconstruct Alonzo’s movements during the hours leading up to the shooting.

Who had spoken with him?

Who had seen him?

Who knew where he was?

Who knew he was at that particular residence?

Those answers could help create a much clearer timeline.

Theory Three: The neighborhood may hold the missing piece

When a shooting occurs in a residential neighborhood, investigators should think beyond the people who were immediately connected to the victim.

There could have been people outside.

Someone driving by.

Someone walking nearby.

Someone who heard the gunshots.

Someone who saw a vehicle leaving.

Someone who noticed a person behaving strangely before or after the shooting.

And sometimes witnesses don’t come forward because they believe what they saw wasn’t important.

That is why I would encourage investigators to continue asking very specific questions about the area that night.

Not simply:

“Did you see anything?”

But:

“What did you hear?”

“What vehicles did you notice?”

“Did you see anyone walking away?”

“Did you notice anyone watching the house?”

“Did anything seem unusual?”

The details that people dismiss as insignificant can sometimes become extremely important.

Theory Four: Reexamine the physical evidence

This is where I think modern cold case investigation can make a real difference.

The shooting happened in 2021, so this isn’t an extremely old case.

That could be important.

Evidence may still exist.

If shell casings, bullets, clothing, biological evidence, surveillance footage or other forensic evidence were recovered, I would want investigators to determine whether every available avenue of forensic testing has been exhausted.

Technology continues to improve.

And even when DNA does not immediately identify a suspect, it can sometimes help investigators establish connections between pieces of evidence.

I would want the evidence reviewed with fresh eyes.

Not because the original investigators necessarily missed something.

But because sometimes a second look produces a question nobody thought to ask the first time.

Theory Five: Follow the victimology

Victimology is incredibly important in homicide investigations.

Who was the victim?

What was their lifestyle?

Who did they interact with?

Where did they go?

What were their routines?

What conflicts existed in their lives?

What opportunities did someone have to harm them?

In Alonzo’s case, I would want investigators to build a detailed timeline of his life immediately before November 24.

Not just the night he was shot.

The weeks before it.

The months before it.

Was anything changing?

Had any relationships changed?

Had anyone suddenly entered or exited his life?

Were there disagreements?

Were there financial issues?

Were there threats?

Were there conflicts?

Sometimes the answer to a murder isn’t found at the crime scene.

Sometimes the answer is found by understanding the victim.

THE QUESTION I KEEP COMING BACK TO

Why?

Why Alonzo?

Why that night?

Why that house?

Why did someone decide that firing a gun into a residence was the answer?

Those are questions that his family should not have to live with forever.

And I think there is another question that deserves just as much attention.

Who knows something?

Because investigators have been asking that question for years.

Someone may have seen something.

Someone may have heard something.

Someone may have been told something.

Someone may have noticed something that didn’t seem important at the time.

And someone may be carrying information right now that could finally give Alonzo’s family the answers they deserve.

A HARD THANKSGIVING

East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers called its 2022 appeal for information about Alonzo’s case “A Hard Thanksgiving.”

That title says so much.

The Thanksgiving after Alonzo’s death was the first Thanksgiving his family had to face without him.

Instead of gathering around a table with Alonzo there, they were gathering around his absence.

And that is something that never really goes away.

Holidays have a way of reminding families who is missing.

A birthday.

A song.

A favorite food.

A chair at the table.

A memory.

A photograph.

Every year can bring another reminder that someone should still be here.

ALONZO’S STORY IS NOT OVER

Alonzo Rodgers was more than a homicide victim.

He was a son.

A brother.

A friend.

A musician.

A member of his community.

A man with a voice people remembered.

A person who had plans for his future.

And his story should not end with the words “investigation ongoing.”

There is still a killer who has not been held accountable.

There is still a family waiting for answers.

And there are still questions that deserve to be asked.

If you know something about the shooting that killed Alonzo Rodgers, even if you think the information is small, please consider coming forward.

East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers says tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest.

You can contact Crime Stoppers at 865 215 7165 or submit a tip through their website or P3 Tips.

You don’t have to solve the case.

You don’t have to know everything.

You just have to tell investigators what you know.

Because sometimes one person finally deciding to speak can be the piece of the puzzle that changes everything.

Alonzo deserves that chance.

His family deserves answers.

And his killer deserves to be held accountable.

Until Every Case is Solved.