By Crystal McGough, Editor
JEFFERSON COUNTY – Leeds Police Department took a murder suspect into custody on Sunday, Dec. 24, at approximately 10 a.m., at the Walmart Supercenter located at 8551 Whitfield Avenue in Leeds.
Joshua Corey Guthrie, 33, of Fairfield, was a suspect in a homicide and kidnapping investigation with the Birmingham Police Department. The kidnapped victim, a woman, was found safe in Guthrie’s vehicle by Leeds officers on Sunday.
“The city of Birmingham was looking for someone that had committed a homicide and after they committed the homicide, they took the victim’s significant other,” Leeds Police Chief Paul Irwin said. “They had her and we found her in the vehicle with the suspect at the Walmart. We took him into custody for murder.”
Guthrie was booked into Birmingham City Jail at 2:08 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. He was transferred to Jefferson County Jail on Tuesday, Dec. 26, at approximately 6:40 p.m.
Guthrie has been charged with Capital Murder and Kidnapping 1st, with both offenses having occurred at approximately 12 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. This is a Class A Felony and he is being held without bond.
“He won’t be getting out anytime soon,” Irwin said. “I’m just glad that we were able to help. The patrol officers did a great job, and then our investigators came out and assisted them.”
The Birmingham Police have identified the victim of the homicide as David Nicholas, 43, of Birmingham. According to police, the incident occurred on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023.
“Just before midnight, East Precinct officers were dispatched to a Person Shot call at a residence in the 1400 Block of Lake Lane Northeast,” Birmingham Police Department released in a statement. “Officers arrived on the scene and then observed the victim outside a residence suffering from injuries after being assaulted. Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel arrived on the scene and pronounced the victim deceased. The preliminary investigation suggests a suspect(s) assaulted the victim at a residence in the 1400 Block of Lake Lane Northeast; the victim was able to flee the residence and seek help in the neighborhood. This incident was not random.”
If there is anyone who has information about the case, please get in touch with the B.P.D. Homicide Unit @ 205-254-1764 or remain anonymous and receive a cash reward by dialing Crime Stoppers @ 205-254-7777.
Crime Stoppers pays tipsters cash rewards of up to $5,000 for their tips.
This is Birmingham’s 124th murder investigation of 2023 with 9 justifiable death investigations). The Birmingham Police Department adheres to FBI Uniform Crime Reporting guidelines set for all law enforcement agencies across the United States. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting guidelines do not require law enforcement agencies to include justifiable death investigations in the total homicide investigations counts.
**The information is based on a preliminary and ongoing investigation, which continues to evolve as investigators interview witnesses, review physical and electronic records, and analyze forensic evidence. The Department’s understanding of the facts and circumstances may change as additional evidence is collected and analyzed**