From Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.–The identity of the man whose decomposing body was found in a wooded area in East Birmingham last week was released this morning.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office has identified the man as 40-year-old Dempsey Chevoit Smith of Birmingham.
The coroner’s office positively identified the victim by fingerprint comparison and determined that he died after being shot.
The Birmingham Police Department is investigating the death as a homicide, according to BPD Officer Truman Fitzgerald.
Smith’s body was discovered last Thursday at around 8:15 a.m. by a community member who was walking in the area of the 3000 block of Jefferson State Parkway, between Center Point High School and Jefferson State Community College’s Jefferson Campus.
The community member then contacted law enforcement, who arrived on the scene.
Anyone with information about the case can contact the B.P.D. Homicide Unit at (205) 254-1764 or remain anonymous and receive a cash reward of up to $5,000 by calling Crime Stoppers at (205) 254-7777.
