March 11, 2025 • 45 mins
Welcome back to True Crime and Headline with Jules + Jen! Today's episode is brought to you by Jen's bi-weekly true crime podcast - Case Uncovered.
September 26th, 2003, started out just like any other day for 32-year-old husband & father, Eric Nelams as he headed off to work....but it would end in murder. Eric's family and friends never saw it coming—and 20 years later, they are still left with one haunting question - who killed Eric Nelams, and why?
A special thank you to Eric's family for partnering with us for today's episode.
Sign the petition for justice for Eric Nelams
Click here to visit Change.org
Connect with Jen on social:
Instagram: @caseuncovered
Visit Jen's website: jenriverainvestigates.com
Sources:
Fox 5 Atlanta
Season of Justice
Solve the Case
Veteran's Legacy Memorial
WSFA
September 26th, 2003, started out just like any other day for 32-year-old husband & father, Eric Nelams as he headed off to work....but it would end in murder. Eric's family and friends never saw it coming—and 20 years later, they are still left with one haunting question - who killed Eric Nelams, and why?
A special thank you to Eric's family for partnering with us for today's episode.
Sign the petition for justice for Eric Nelams
Click here to visit Change.org
Connect with Jen on social:
Instagram: @caseuncovered
Visit Jen's website: jenriverainvestigates.com
Sources:
Fox 5 Atlanta
Season of Justice
Solve the Case
Veteran's Legacy Memorial
WSFA
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everybody, it's Jen and welcome back to True Cremen
Headlines with Jules and Jen. Today, I have a very
special episode for you, and I'm excited to share it
with you all. This is a case I recently covered
on my brand new bi weekly true crime podcast, Case Uncovered,
and that's the story of Eric Nelms. I wanted to
(00:20):
be able to share this episode with all of our
listeners here at True cremin Headlines because it's so very
special to me. I had the privilege of being able
to work with Eric's family for this episode, and I
think you'll truly enjoy it. If you enjoy today's episode,
I'd love for you to go subscribe to Case Uncovered,
available wherever you listen to podcasts. I post every other Wednesday,
(00:44):
so you'll get additional content on top of the Tuesday
and Friday episodes we post here on True Cremen Headlines,
and make sure to go follow Case Uncovered on Instagram
at Case Uncovered. Now, without further ado, let's get into
today's episode. Hi everyone, and welcome back to Case Uncovered,
(01:05):
where we uncover the untold stories behind some of the
most compelling true crime cases. I'm John Rivera and I'm
looking forward to bringing you new bi weekly episodes moving forward.
Thank you all for being patient with me. As you
may know, I am one of the co founders of
Fireeyes Media and we have a ton of new projects happening. Jewels,
my business partner, and I have also started a brand
(01:26):
new season of true crime and Headlines with Jewels and
gen and you can catch me there every week on
Tuesdays and Fridays wherever you listen to podcasts. I'm also
going to be attending Advocacy Cohn in Indianapolis, Indiana here
in the next few weeks. I'll have a booth and
we'll also be speaking at the event. I'm really looking
forward to meeting some of you as well as some
(01:47):
of the amazing families I've had the pleasure of working with.
So make sure you come and say hi. If you're
attending today, I have a very special episode for you.
We're revisiting a case that has haunted a family for
nearly two decades, and that's the case of Eric Nelms,
a US Army veteran, a devoted father, and a loving
(02:08):
husband who was gunned down outside his home in Phoenix City, Alabama.
I've had the privilege of working with Eric's sister Kathy
for this episode, Anne got to talk with Kathy, her mom,
and her children. They were kind enough to share more
about Eric and his case, and I'll be including clips
of our conversation throughout this episode. September twenty sixth two
thousand and three started out just like any other day,
(02:31):
but it ended in murder. Eric's family and friends never
saw it coming, and twenty years later, they are still
left with one haunting question. Who killed Eric Nelms and why?
(03:28):
Eric Bernard Nelums was born in nineteen seventy one in Columbus, Georgia,
to Annie and Ernest Nelams. Growing up in a large,
close knit family, Eric was known for his big heart
and even bigger presence. His sister Kathy describes him as
small in stature but big in spirit. Eric was a
natural athlete, excelling in baseball despite a smaller frame. Kathy
(03:51):
shares when Eric played baseball, he hit the ball out
of the park. People would underestimate him, but he always
rose to the occasion and that really he was the
essence of who he was. Eric was much more than
an athlete, though. He was the glue that held his
family and friends together. He had a special way of
making people laugh and feel welcomed.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
My brother and I are the only children that my
mom has. I'm the oldest and he was the youngest.
We were so close in the age, like a year
and a half, but it feels like it's a year.
If I was in the first grade, he was in kindergarten.
So he literally did life together. And he was a
very nice person. I just don't say that because he's
my brother. If he was something other than that, I'd
(04:34):
be very transparent to say that.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
But he was very kind. He was silly and jovial.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Whenever he would come around, he would light up a
room and just if you're having a bad day, he's
gonna do something just to make you laugh, because it's
just who he is. He would literally give people his all.
He was very popular in school, like he was more
popular than I was.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
They used to refer to me as his little sister.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
But I also pick because he was so popular, and
that's how people viewed us.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
He was and his fault when he was.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Younger, and everybody underestimate his abilities. And when my dad
put him in youth baseball, he hit the ball out
the park and everybody is like, oh my god, look
at him, so that it's like a testament to what
type of person he was. Like people always underestimated him,
(05:28):
but he always rose to ducation and that's literally how
he lived his life. He would get us together to
have barbecues, cookouts, things like that, and it kind of
helped our family get together. We miss those moments because
it seems like there's a huge part of our life
that's missing. So even if we do get together, it
(05:50):
still doesn't quite seem right. So it's kind of like bittersweet,
but we do have to move on with life.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
But the void is felt. Was my uncle.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
To describe who he was, it's hard to put in
words because he meant so much to so many people.
He was a father figure, not just for me before
his step children.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Whoever he was with, he treated them.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
As if those were his kids. He always looked out
for his friends and his family. He always was the
person that congregated the family. So he would have events
all the time and we would always go to his
softball games. He was part of the softball team at
his job, and he was literally I never seen him angry,
(06:41):
I never seen him sad. He always had a big
smile on his face. He loved music. Whenever he would
come by, you knew he was coming. You could hear
the music before he got there. He was a spirit,
like a living spirit. And that's why so hard to
describe who he was, because it was nothing but joy when.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
He was around.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
And it always like he came to the rescue right
out of town whenever my mom needed them or we
needed his mother needed him. His son, his Finn, lived
in Kentucky while he lived in Alabama, and he made
it a point to always go get him, go see him.
I would rally him sometimes to Kentucky. So he was
all around stand up guy. Every memory I have of
(07:24):
him is a positive one, except for the day that
he passed.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
His niece ta Kia recalls that he was always there
for people and would do anything for his family. He
always made time for the ones he loved. Eric's sense
of humor and positivity were contagious. He wasn't just popular
because of his abilities, but because of his genuine love
for others.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Hi.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
I'm Takia Lum's I'm Eric's niece, So I just.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Want to say that he was definitely like I think
the right word as a beacon in our family, where
he kind of just he lied naturally. Like his cousins
like that were around his age. They lingered around him
because he was such a leader. He was a father
finger to me and you know, this always came through
(08:16):
for the family whenever we needed him. He taught me
how to dance, he knew how to He was just
all around good.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Guy, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
And I think I get my face.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Spirits from him because you know, I always try to
keep a smile on my face or try to keep
my family happy.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Eric's sense of joy and his ability to bring people
together were essential parts of who he was. He wasn't
just about family gatherings. Eric worked hard to make everyone
around him feel valued. Eric's mother, Annie, remembers her son
as being a friendly, outgoing man. He was truly a
kind person and really would go out of his way
to help others. Annie recalls him being such a people
(08:59):
person and someone who truly truly cared.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
My name is Anna Nella Melissy, and I am the
mother of Eric Nellen who.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Was killed September twenty six, two thousand.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
And three, and his driveway.
Speaker 6 (09:14):
I will say that it was a very nice and
talented young man, and most people were saying that they
would give me to shut out their back.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
But when I say that by my son, it's really true.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
He happened to a lot of peoples.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
After high school, Eric joined the US Army in nineteen ninety.
His service took him to Germany and later to the
Persian Gulf during the Gulf War. Eric's service and the
army shaped him into a disciplined, dedicated man, known for
his sharpshooting skills and on waivering commitment. But even as
he traveled the world, Eric always kept in touch with
(09:49):
his childhood friend Tara Jones, and their relationship eventually turned
into a lasting bond. Eric and Terra's relationship blossomed later
in life, and in two thousand and three, they decided
to get married. The couple settled into a new home,
blending their families. Eric had children from his previous relationships,
and he quickly bonded with Terra's children. They built a
(10:11):
life together focused on their family and their future. Eric's children,
including his son Antonio, were really the center of his world.
On the morning of September twenty sixth, two thousand and three,
Eric followed his usual routine. He woke up early, prepared
for his day, and left for work while his wife
and children remained asleep inside their home. His family had
(10:32):
no idea what would unfold just outside the door. Eric
walked out into the carport a short distance from the
front door of his house to start his truck and
get ready for his day. It was a typical Friday
morning until it wasn't. As Eric stepped outside to start
his truck, someone was already waiting for him. At five
(10:52):
thirty a m. Multiple shots rang out, echoing through the air.
Eric was ambushed, fired at least three times, striking Eric
multiple times, and within seconds he was down, lifeless on
the concrete. The shooter fled the scene, immediately, leaving Eric's
(11:13):
body lying there, cold and unmoving. His wife, Tera, still inside,
heard the shots and rushed to gather the children, locking
them in the bedroom and escaping out the window to safety,
but by the time emergency responders arrived, Eric was already gone.
As Tara ran to a neighbor's house to call for help.
The police arrived at the scene to find Eric lying
(11:34):
lifeless just outside his home. The investigation then began, but
at first there were more questions than answers. The authorities
quickly rolled out robbery. Eric's belongings were left untouched and
there was no sign of a struggle. It left the
police wondering what was the motive for the brutal murder. Well,
(11:54):
the motive, it seemed, was personal, but what was the reason.
Police began questioning Eric's family, friends, and neighbors. Everyone they
had spoke to had nothing but praise for Eric. They
couldn't fathom why someone would want him dead. In the
early days of the investigation, law enforcement considered every possible angle,
(12:16):
but none of them led to any concrete answers. One
thing did stand out. Though the shooter had been waiting
for Eric, the time of the attack, five thirty am
was not random. It was a time that Eric followed
every single day. He left for work early, just as
he always did. This suggested that the shooter was familiar
(12:37):
with Eric's routine, perhaps even someone close to him. Annie
especially felt this inner gut. She firmly believed that the
murder of her son had been premeditated by someone who
knew Eric's habits. They timed him, They knew what time
he came out to go to work. They were already
there and just started shooting. Despite the pain, Eric's mother
(13:01):
and his family were determined to get answers. They pushed
for an investigation, hoping that someone would eventually come forward
with a clue, a piece of the puzzle that would
crack the case wide open, but unfortunately, no such breakthrough came.
Phoenix City Police initially struggled to make any headway. The
family was devastated not just by Eric's death, but by
(13:25):
the lack of progress in the investigation. Kathy explains that
they didn't hear anything from the police, that they kept
reaching out, but they were left in the dark. It
was frustrating that they didn't know where to turn. Kathy
shares more about how she felt throughout the process.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
That would contact them and try to get information, and
they were forthcoming, not initially, but eventually once we got
in our face and ain't kind of saw us and felt,
you know, for us and the grief that we were
going through. They did provide us with information. So I
don't want to make it seem as though they didn't.
(14:05):
They didn't handle my mom on the scene correctly because
they didn't acknowledge that she was a mother. They didn't
console her, They didn't say, Mike condolences, They didn't say
I will follow up with you and your family in
regards to this case. None of that happened. So she
still feels like she's unseen and unheard, and I can
totally understand that. And because of that feeling that she has,
(14:28):
that's what drives me. These two people on this podcast,
my children, that's my wife, because they suffered a loss
just as much as I did. And last but not least,
his son, he lost a father. That's what motivates me
to keep going and make myself you know, it's like
a simplest thing because of them.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Despite the lack of progress from local authorities, Cathy took
matters into her own hands. She began writing letters to
law enforcement, reaching out to media outlets, and contacting anyone
who could help bring attention to the case. She felt
like she had to do something. She couldn't just sit
around and wait for the phone to ring.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
So when my brother was killed, I immediately just started
thinking of things that I can do with people I
can reach out to to try to get reward. Money
like that was my biggest goal at first, because I
was trying to leave everything up to the law enforcement
to try to get the case off. So I wanted
to bring attention to it, so I reached out to
(15:30):
the company that he worked for. I reached out to
some of his former classmates that went to the NFL
or NBA looking on the inn of different TV shows
that would focus on cold case. So at the time,
America's most wanted was like the show for crime related
in cases.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
So I wrote to them several times. I wrote to
Nasty Grace.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
I wrote to Whole Case in forty eight hours dateline
to see who could highlight his case to break some
attention to it. So again none of that was fruitful.
I just kept moving forward. I made a list of
all law enforcement in Alabama. I wrote letters to them.
I wrote letters to the Attorney General, to anybody who
(16:13):
I can get attention from. Where the ball started moving
is when my mom and I went and sat down
with the Russell County DA at the time, his name
was Kenneth Davis. Ken Davis listened to my mom and
I and he assigned an investigator to oversee my brother's
case and things city Police department. But it's only was
one investigator in the officer. Of course, he has to
(16:35):
split his time on other cases.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
As the investigation unfolded, several theories emerged. The most prevalent
one was that the killer was someone who knew Eric,
someone who understood his schedule and knew I needed to
be alone. The calculated nature of the crime the fact
that the shooter was waiting for him at precisely the
right time, led investigators to believe that this was no
(16:57):
random act of violence. Of the attack suggested a level
of premeditation. Another theory that emerged was that Eric's murder
was a targeted hits. Some believe that the murder had
been carried out by someone with experience in committing such crimes.
The fact that there were no witnesses and no direct
evidence to point to a suspect made this theory seem possible.
(17:19):
Could someone have paid to have Eric killed? Was this
a professional hits? Others believed the murder was tied to
an embezzlement case Eric had become involved with. Eric had
been in the middle of an embezzlement case with some
people he knew. According to Kathy, he had gone to
Atlanta to meet with them just days before his death.
This connection may have been a part of the reason
(17:39):
he was targeted.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Throughout the investigation.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Well, I knew from the beginning that that was a
lingering case in regards to a federal case dealing with
an embezzlement that my brother took part in as far
as cashing the checks for one of his friends' spouses.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
The Atlanta connection is.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
That my brother and the company that the investment took
place from is headquartered here in Atlanta, and those the
friends spouse worked at that company in that accounting department
and accounts payble. So she set my brother up as
a vendor as a trucking company, and that's how the
investment started. So the Monday or two sta prior to
(18:21):
his death, him and his wife made a trip to
Atlanta to meet with the Cowlings. So they met with
Eric and Stemphany Cowing here in Atlanta, and at the time,
Stemphany gave my brother a script to say to investigate
us when they called, because she had the crime had
been discovered by that audience. She gave him the script
(18:44):
and asked him to take the blame for the for
the investment.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
But I don't know how.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
She thought that was even feasible, being that she was
the inside person no lay person can just write checks
for themselves and circumvent the system where is not discovered
for a long period of time. So fast forward to Friday,
my mom gets a call at work that my brother
(19:09):
had been shot, and she thought it was a joke
because my aunt that communicated to her is a joker
of the family, so she didn't think that she was serious.
But when she arrived on the scene, of course, she
discovered my brother's body land in his driveway and all
these people are gathered around. Amongst the people that's gathered
(19:30):
around is the people that I'm mentioning that he met
with earlier that week. So there's just a lot of
people that typically wouldn't be in the midst that was
there on a scene, according to my mom, and it's
highly suspectful. And she mentioned that there were two guys
that were apprehended in handcuffs on the ground when she arrived. However,
(19:54):
in the police report, it doesn't mention that anybody was detained,
so I found that highly so.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Ficious as well.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
The case the federal case was tried, they called me
as a witness because I was privy to the information,
not the not the details, but just the overall premise
of what was going on the persons of interest, the couple.
They were sentenced to eight years in the federal prison.
They came back home and just resumed their life as
(20:24):
though nothing happened. So like when I would visit my
mom in Columbus and see them riding up the street,
it was just kissed me off so bad because I'm like,
they're out and living their life and they could have
potentially taken a life. And I say they because when
the detective on the case, she's down to see. When
(20:46):
the two initial detectives on the case, it was Lieutenant
Deer and Detective Mike Bergo, they told us like I
came out and asked, because there was so many rumors
floating around our hometown. They were saying that the spot
was involved. They were saying her ex spouse, her ex
husband was involved, and then these two friends. Nobody knew
(21:08):
about the two friends because it was something that we
kept without our family. So if you had no knowledge
of it, you would just the fault too that the
wife and the expouse did it, which is still probable.
But when I asked the detective did they questioned him,
they said, yes, we don't think he did it. So
they told me that Eric and Stephanie Callen were their
(21:30):
main suspects.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
So with this theory, the family suspicions continued to grow stronger,
and Kathy and her family believed that this may have
been the motive behind the killing. The police, however, have
never confirmed this theory. In June two thousand and four,
nearly a year after Eric's death, the case was still unsolved.
The investigation had hit a wall, but because of Kathy's perseverance,
(21:54):
then Alabama Governor Bob Briley stepped in. He announced a
five thousand dollars reward for any information that could lead
to an arrest and conviction. It was a long shot,
but it was a step toward keeping the case alive.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
I asked them, is there something you can do to
get some reward money, and he said yes, I'm got
right to the state and see if we can get
some reward money. So he obliged and did that, and
the governor at the time was Bob Riley, and Bob
Riley did make a reward proclamation for five thousand dollars,
so we were happy for that.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Unfortunately, Governor Riley's reward did little to stir up new information,
and the case continued to grow cold despite the lack
of answers. Though Eric's family has never stopped fighting for
justice over the years, Kathy's tireless advocacy has cut the
case in the public eye in recent years. As the
twentieth anniversary of Eric's stat approached, the family renewed their efforts.
(22:51):
They reached out to Central Alabama Crime Stoppers and managed
to get a new billboard placed in Atlanta, Georgia, which
was a strategic location. Cathy says she wanted to put
the billboard up in Atlanta because she believed the people
involved in Eric's murder were from there. It just felt
like the right place to remind people that his case
is still unsolved. Though progress has been slow, Kathy and
(23:13):
her family's relentless fight for justice continues. In twenty twenty three,
the state of Alabama renewed the reward for Eric's case,
raising it to ten thousand dollars, a step forward for
a case that has been called for far too long.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
At the time, Columbus, Georgia, which is the neighboring city
for Fams City, Alabama, they had a crime stoppers at
the time, so we had a total of six thousand dollars,
so the state gave us five thousand dollars. Crime Stoppers
d it's one thousand. It just got to a point
where working on this case really consumed me, and that's
just all I could think about. And at the time,
(23:47):
I had little kids. My kids were on the verge
of being teenagers, but she wasn't quite there. So I
just had to get to a point where I had
to just let it go. And I'm literally told myself
I was gonna give it to God because it was
taking control of my life.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
As a matter of fact, it really got to.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
A point where I felt like I was I wanted
to kill myself and be suicidal because I couldn't understand
why would such a great person, Why would somebody take
such a great person? And that's just where my mind
was going. So that's the dark place that I went to.
But thank God, I was able to get away from
that and to move forward in life.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
So I put all.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
That to the rest. I would touch it every now
and then when the anniversary of his death would approach,
I would reach out, and if nothing came whether I.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Would move forward. Fast forward to the twentieth year approaching.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
I talked to my mom and I was like, hey,
you know, the twentieth years approaching, we need to do
something again.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
I go into research mode.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
I'm on Google and just write down different things that
I can try writing letters. Reached out to Central Alabama
Crime Stoppers. We went to Montgum, we had a print
day with them. Central Alabama Crime Stoppers initiated the reward
from early two thousands to be renewed, as well as
(25:11):
add an additional five thousand dollars to what we potentially
could have from the state again, so that brought the
reward to ten thousand dollars. Since then, everything has been
steadily moving forward. I think one of the first people
that I talked to was Alabama Cold Case Advocacy with
(25:31):
Mary and Carrey from Alabama Cold Case Advocacy Now are
the first people that we interviewed with and did the podcast.
And then we talked to Done with Method and Madness podcasts.
And then after that I met with Kendall from Season
of Justice. She talked to me, we cried together, and
she told me that she was going to submit my
(25:53):
application for a grant, but it would be in the spring.
So fast forward Spring com She said, you guys are
getting this grant, We're gonna put.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
A billboard up for you. She sent me the different locations.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I strategically chose the location that was closest to my
brother's home because I just wanted to remind those that
coming by that, you know, his case is still unsolved
and not unforgotten. So it was a joyous moment for
our family because it felt like we had finally accomplished
(26:26):
something after years of the case being stagnant and feeling
like the police department wasn't listening to us. Then will
we give him information? It feels like they brush it
off or with whole information from us. So it was
like a little victory for us to see that billboard
up there, and to see his space on that billboard.
It was just a joyous moment. And I know that
(26:47):
sounds crazy for a murder case, but that's how I
made us feel little happy. So it was like a
little victory.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Kathy's petition for the Attorney General's office to take over
the case also gained a lot of traction, with over
a thousand signatures now in support of the request. I'll
make sure to leave the link in the show notes,
so you can also go and sign the petition and
be a part of the fight for justice for Eric.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Because the Phoenix City Police I had been so listening
for the Attorney General to take over the case because
I just had lost faith in that police department because
Phoenix City is just such a small town and I
just never had faith in them to solve my brother's case.
So I went on change and created a petition for
(27:33):
the Attorney General's Whole Case Unit to take over the case.
And the police apartment was kind of I'm not gonna
say resistant, but they kind of like patronized.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Me, and they were like, yeah, okay, they appeased me.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
I reached out to the person the name that I
found on LinkedIn that worked for the Attorney General's office,
and I'm like, hey, so here's my brother's case here
in the Alabama and I want to see if you
could review it for potentially you got taken over the case.
Minjo had already sent letters to the Attorney's and I's
office prior to that and didn't get any response from them.
(28:07):
But I'm going to back up a little bit. Back
in two thousand and four, I reached out to the
Attorney General for the state of Alabama at that time.
His name is Troy King, and at that time he
did respond to my letters and he was like, we're
sorry for your laws. You know, I'll make sure that
all the resources we have is extended to this case.
So they accepted it. They assigned to Tony Costaldo as
(28:30):
the investigator. They was monitoring the case because there was
a federal component that's attached to it. Eventually, one of
the people that worked at the Code case unit sent
me an email.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
His name was J. D.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Shelton, and he said that we've heard from things city
that the case is solved. And I'm like, why would
someone say that when it's not true. So I immediately
called things to the police department and I'm like, hey,
mister Shelton at the AG is telling me that the
case is solved. Did you guys saw the case and
didn't notify the family And they're like, no.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
That's not correct.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
So anyway, I tried to get it undone reached out
to the AG again. It's like, hey, your office made
this mistake. How can we make this right? Long story short,
the AG is not re elected or whatever. It is
a new AG's in the office, so it's like starting
over from square one because they can rotate the investigators
as well.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
So reached out to the current AG who is Steve Marshall.
He did not respond like the previous AG had. There
was no correspondence or anything from multiple letters. So then
that motivated me to do the change dot orgician for
the office.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
And my goal is for their office to take over
the investigation because they are staffed by season law enforcement officers,
so they're former homicide detectives, FBI agent Secret Service. So
I figured with their vast explaceperience that they would, you know,
look at the case and even if they don't, it's
(30:04):
it would be French eyes on the case that's been
stalled for twenty plus years. That's where I am right now,
and as of yesterday, we crossed the threshold of one
thousand signatures, which I'm happy for. That was a huge milestone.
So I want the AG's office still to take over
the case. I would like for the numbers to continue
(30:25):
to go up because without the numbers, you know, that
doesn't get their attention. If you don't have the numbers
or the following behind you, I don't have a huge following,
and I'm okay with that because I feel as though
the people that I do have follow me and support me,
they do it religiously, like they're like strong supporters, and
I'm happy for that. So it's quality over quantity, because
(30:47):
I've still been able to get things accomplished and move
for it.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
To this day, the murder of Eric Nelms remains unsolved.
Phoenix City Police state that they continue to investigate and
the family continues to fight for answers.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Well.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
The case has gone cold, it is not forgotten.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
When it approached the twentieth anniversary, as I said, I
stepped away for a while. I told myself I would
put a notice in my calendar where I would contact
him every month on the twenty six because that's the
day my brother died. So every month on the twenty sixth,
I send them an email. And at first I was calling,
and then something that the captain has assigned to the case,
(31:27):
you know, told my mom, my daughter, and I he
recanted later.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
That taught me a valuable lesson.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
I don't want to talk to you because you can
always say, oh, that's hearsay. So I always reach out
to him via email, so that it's in writing, so
that's my routine with him.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
My mom and I.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Recently had a meeting with It was supposed to be
with the police chief, but the police chief opted out
and sent the assistant police chief, and when my mom
and I asked him, of course cinceeniguards to the status
of the case. They're saying, we've exhausted all the leaves,
but the case is still active. And a lot of
people that I've talked to you, they was like, how
(32:09):
can it be when us a cold case? So we
had a lot of questions and their answer was, we
can't discussed up with you. And if they knew going
into the meeting that that was the stance they were
gonna take, while waste our time. I traveled two hours
to come to Columbus from Atlanta just to have this
meeting and just for you to tell me no comment
(32:30):
pretty much, so that pissed me off.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
Again.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
I'm okay with being the angry sister and my mom
could be the one that they have sympathy towards, because
that's just what it is. So that's my role. I'm
okay with that. I don't care about rustling feathers because
what do I have to lose at this point, like
my brother is gone and this case.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Is still on solft.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
So on Twitter, I have specific people that I reached out.
I reached out to everybody that had something to do
with lost worts, with cold case advocacy, things like that.
So amongst those people with this guy named Douglas McGregor,
and he's a part of this group called the IRIS,
and I forgot what it stands for, but they're like
a team of an investigative group. So we did talk
(33:16):
and he said, this is a case that my group
will be interested in and we're willing to accept the case,
but the contingency is that finn City Police has to
give us access to the case file. So my diligent
self write a letter. I wrote it to both the DA,
I wrote one to the General and I wrote one
to the captain who's assigned to my brother's case. And
(33:37):
immediately he said, no, I'm not inviting anybody into my case.
It's an active homicide investigative investigative investigation. So I'm like, well,
what's active about it? What's why? He didn't reply back.
But in our meeting, what we had with an assistant
police chief a few weeks ago last month.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
He was like, oh, we're not gonna invite no on
law enforcement.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Well, when I sent the when I sent the letter
to each of them requesting that they released the case
file either to me, my mom or to Similarest team,
the team was not asking for the files to leave
their offense. They were gonna ask him for the police
to step out of the room or anything like that.
They were willing to sign a non disclosure agreement. But
(34:22):
again Phoenix said, police shut that down. That pissed me
off once again. And that's my word when it comes
to fix City's kissing me off because that's what they
constantly do. So these people, Douglas provided me a flyer
with all their credentials on it, like these people that
are solicited by police officers and FBI all around the
(34:43):
United States when they have a case that they want
these specialists on. So they are former homicide, detective, forensics,
anything that you would want saw the case, they have
it on their team.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
So again they denied that.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
I wanted to mention that as well because we're at
a standstill. And my thing is if Fennia City say
they've exhausted all of their resources and have no new
leads in regards to this case, and the case is
not moving forward and you're not giving it to the
a's office, then why not let a person come in
and take a look at it, like what do you
have to lose? And it's my understanding that it's a
(35:20):
lot of times it's due to an ego trip, like
how they invite somebody else in to come solve our case. Well,
if that's your position, then do their job.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
Do the job.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
And that's all we expect from them is for them
to do their job. It's not step to the sign.
Speaker 6 (35:38):
I would like to say that I wish and pray
that in instead of police caught me with the interviewing
some of the people that was in love in this case,
they have been given information and then they said, he'll say,
but I know for a fact that it's not his say.
So I need them to do their job and stop
telling me that that they can't make deep people come
(36:00):
in and talk to them when now so close to
the case and some of them was involved in the
shooting of my son, and they still won't do anything.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
And I need them to really do that job.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
But the question still remains, who killed Eric Nellins. Was
it someone close to him, someone who knew his schedule
and knew exactly when to strike. The lack of evidence,
the absence of witnesses, and the fact that nothing was
stolen from Eric makes this case a difficult one to crack,
but there's always hope that someone somewhere will come forward
(36:35):
with the crucial piece of information needed to solve this case.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
When he passed out, I think I was fifteen to sixteen.
I was like a freshman in high school.
Speaker 5 (36:45):
My mom came and picked me up from school and
we drove down to Columbus. Nobody told her what was
going on at the time until he got to my
grandy's house, and when we found out what happened is
it's just disbelief. Because he wasn't a street guy, he
wasn't a bad person. No known enemies, Like I said,
(37:05):
I never seen them in the confrontation or never seen
him angry. And then few days after he's passed and out,
hearing my mom's account of what happened the first forty
eight to seventy two hours is probably the most crucial
time trying to solve a murder. Into neglect the family
or my mom's input and she had crucial information just
(37:27):
to kind of the incompetence of the police department. And
I feel like since they've been passing the buck, it's
kind of an embarrassment. Through her reaching out to different
people that are willing to do the due diligence and
request records, so on and so forth, speaks to how
(37:50):
it may be embarrassed incident, even though this is a
different administration as far as the police department is concerned.
These are different people, different leaders in the police department.
It's kind of a flat in the face because even
see SBI feels like the money was more important than
the life. When these two things were clearly connected. Whether
(38:10):
there's a connection to his murder or not, these things
are connected in some form or fashion, whether it came
from the people involved in the initial crime or somebody
in retaliation, who knows. But to not investigate those things
was a slap in the face. Amongst the people that
(38:31):
would hang around here, such as his friends, his wife,
they kind of fell by the Wayfiule and these were
they were a constant in his life.
Speaker 4 (38:39):
There were a constant in our life, whether he was
there or not.
Speaker 5 (38:43):
So for him to be gone and those people disappear
as well.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
It just raised all kind of red flags.
Speaker 5 (38:52):
And these are the same people that my mom mentioned
to the police department for us to be able to
piece things together and see them for what they are
or see the connections, and then the police departments investigative
teams neglected themselves.
Speaker 4 (39:11):
It feels like a slap interface.
Speaker 5 (39:13):
And we were angry for years how they handled it
and how the people around my uncle were behaving, And
now that anger is more focused into a positive outcome
seeking justice for my uncle. So at this point, the billboards,
(39:34):
the constant reposting and posting about him in his case,
and a reward is to remind people that we haven't forgot.
There's a reward out for any information and we're seeking
justice at any costs. So we'll spend the time, the money,
the resources. Whether the departments want to do it or not,
(39:57):
we'll keep binding it until something comes out, because, like
I said, a lot of this is kind of obvious
as far as something to look into, and we just
want enough energy behind this and enough attention behind us
to where it can't be ignored. You have to look
(40:18):
into it, whether it's the police department or these investigative groups.
I even think she had trouble getting the atopsy report,
which is ridiculous. And his sister are is too closest relatives,
and for them not to be able to get those documents,
it's strange. And for his ex wife to not want
(40:38):
to be a part of the justice seeking it's even stranger.
So I can't expouse any wrong doings on anybody.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
I can only speak to.
Speaker 5 (40:51):
How it feels once he's gone and how they behaved
when he was here, because, like my sister said, he
was a beacon, so people grab towards him and gravitated
towards our family. And for him to be gone and
the love that they have for our family and air
quotations to seem like it no longer exists.
Speaker 4 (41:12):
Is uh. It's puzzling.
Speaker 5 (41:16):
And like I said, it's a slap in the face
for all of those things not to be looked at
and investigated. It's a major void that's missing in our family.
Even though he's been gone so long, he was so
important that when different situations will arise after his death,
I would always think, how would this be different if
(41:36):
he was here?
Speaker 4 (41:38):
How would this be different if he was here?
Speaker 5 (41:40):
You know, and he has a son now that has
a daughter, so he would have been a grandfather. And
his son followed in his footsteps and joined the army
as well, and it's.
Speaker 4 (41:52):
Doing very, very good.
Speaker 5 (41:56):
But it's even hard for him to advocate for his father.
I can only imagine, you know, the thoughts that he
have even seeing our reposting and posting on some of
this stuff. So we'll speak for him, even though right
now he may may not be mostly able to advocate
for himself. Will advocate for him and his father because,
(42:19):
like I said, it's such a big void that's missing
from my family and justice, justice is needed because he
didn't deserve. He didn't deserve that at all. Nobody in
our family deserved not to have him present. He deserved
to live as long as guy would allow. Yeah, for
somebody whatever they thought into their all hands.
Speaker 4 (42:42):
It's just not right, especially because of the kind of person.
Speaker 5 (42:45):
He was, and just totally don't want to, totally don't
want to, especially for everybody else to just move on
with their lives and act like he didn't exist, or
act like he didn't do things for them or really
really be there for them in their time and need
so We're going to have a cake for him.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
We're going to have Kate four surname and.
Speaker 5 (43:05):
His grandchild and my grandmother and my sister and me
and anybody that'll come after. Will will keep his name alive,
will keep his legacy alive, because that's the kind of
person that's missing.
Speaker 4 (43:19):
He deserves to be celebrated, and he deserves you.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
If you have any information, no matter how small it
may seem, please contact Crime Stoppers of Central Alabama at
three three four two on five seven eight six seven.
You can remain anonymous. Your tip could be the one
that finally brings justice to Eric Nullins and brings answers
to his family. If you know something, say something. I
(43:49):
want to personally thank Eric's family for partnering with me
to bring you this episode. Please make sure to share
share this episode so we can continue to bring awareness
to Eric's kse and hopefully one day he will get
the justice he deserves. Thank you so much for joining
me today for this episode of Case Uncovered and for
(44:10):
listening to Eric's story. Make sure to connect with me
on Facebook and Instagram at Jen Rivera Investigates. Until next time,
stay curious, stay vigilant, and stay safe out there, fireeyes, media,
Hey everybody, it's Jen and welcome back to True Cremen
Headlines with Jules and Jen. Today, I have a very
special episode for you, and I'm excited to share it
with you all. This is a case I recently covered
on my brand new bi weekly true crime podcast, Case Uncovered,
and that's the story of Eric Nelms. I wanted to
(00:20):
be able to share this episode with all of our
listeners here at True cremin Headlines because it's so very
special to me. I had the privilege of being able
to work with Eric's family for this episode, and I
think you'll truly enjoy it. If you enjoy today's episode,
I'd love for you to go subscribe to Case Uncovered,
available wherever you listen to podcasts. I post every other Wednesday,
(00:44):
so you'll get additional content on top of the Tuesday
and Friday episodes we post here on True Cremen Headlines,
and make sure to go follow Case Uncovered on Instagram
at Case Uncovered. Now, without further ado, let's get into
today's episode. Hi everyone, and welcome back to Case Uncovered,
(01:05):
where we uncover the untold stories behind some of the
most compelling true crime cases. I'm John Rivera and I'm
looking forward to bringing you new bi weekly episodes moving forward.
Thank you all for being patient with me. As you
may know, I am one of the co founders of
Fireeyes Media and we have a ton of new projects happening. Jewels,
my business partner, and I have also started a brand
(01:26):
new season of true crime and Headlines with Jewels and
gen and you can catch me there every week on
Tuesdays and Fridays wherever you listen to podcasts. I'm also
going to be attending Advocacy Cohn in Indianapolis, Indiana here
in the next few weeks. I'll have a booth and
we'll also be speaking at the event. I'm really looking
forward to meeting some of you as well as some
(01:47):
of the amazing families I've had the pleasure of working with.
So make sure you come and say hi. If you're
attending today, I have a very special episode for you.
We're revisiting a case that has haunted a family for
nearly two decades, and that's the case of Eric Nelms,
a US Army veteran, a devoted father, and a loving
(02:08):
husband who was gunned down outside his home in Phoenix City, Alabama.
I've had the privilege of working with Eric's sister Kathy
for this episode, Anne got to talk with Kathy, her mom,
and her children. They were kind enough to share more
about Eric and his case, and I'll be including clips
of our conversation throughout this episode. September twenty sixth two
thousand and three started out just like any other day,
(02:31):
but it ended in murder. Eric's family and friends never
saw it coming, and twenty years later, they are still
left with one haunting question. Who killed Eric Nelms and why?
(03:28):
Eric Bernard Nelums was born in nineteen seventy one in Columbus, Georgia,
to Annie and Ernest Nelams. Growing up in a large,
close knit family, Eric was known for his big heart
and even bigger presence. His sister Kathy describes him as
small in stature but big in spirit. Eric was a
natural athlete, excelling in baseball despite a smaller frame. Kathy
(03:51):
shares when Eric played baseball, he hit the ball out
of the park. People would underestimate him, but he always
rose to the occasion and that really he was the
essence of who he was. Eric was much more than
an athlete, though. He was the glue that held his
family and friends together. He had a special way of
making people laugh and feel welcomed.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
My brother and I are the only children that my
mom has. I'm the oldest and he was the youngest.
We were so close in the age, like a year
and a half, but it feels like it's a year.
If I was in the first grade, he was in kindergarten.
So he literally did life together. And he was a
very nice person. I just don't say that because he's
my brother. If he was something other than that, I'd
(04:34):
be very transparent to say that.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
But he was very kind. He was silly and jovial.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Whenever he would come around, he would light up a
room and just if you're having a bad day, he's
gonna do something just to make you laugh, because it's
just who he is. He would literally give people his all.
He was very popular in school, like he was more
popular than I was.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
They used to refer to me as his little sister.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
But I also pick because he was so popular, and
that's how people viewed us.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
He was and his fault when he was.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Younger, and everybody underestimate his abilities. And when my dad
put him in youth baseball, he hit the ball out
the park and everybody is like, oh my god, look
at him, so that it's like a testament to what
type of person he was. Like people always underestimated him,
(05:28):
but he always rose to ducation and that's literally how
he lived his life. He would get us together to
have barbecues, cookouts, things like that, and it kind of
helped our family get together. We miss those moments because
it seems like there's a huge part of our life
that's missing. So even if we do get together, it
(05:50):
still doesn't quite seem right. So it's kind of like bittersweet,
but we do have to move on with life.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
But the void is felt. Was my uncle.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
To describe who he was, it's hard to put in
words because he meant so much to so many people.
He was a father figure, not just for me before
his step children.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Whoever he was with, he treated them.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
As if those were his kids. He always looked out
for his friends and his family. He always was the
person that congregated the family. So he would have events
all the time and we would always go to his
softball games. He was part of the softball team at
his job, and he was literally I never seen him angry,
(06:41):
I never seen him sad. He always had a big
smile on his face. He loved music. Whenever he would
come by, you knew he was coming. You could hear
the music before he got there. He was a spirit,
like a living spirit. And that's why so hard to
describe who he was, because it was nothing but joy when.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
He was around.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
And it always like he came to the rescue right
out of town whenever my mom needed them or we
needed his mother needed him. His son, his Finn, lived
in Kentucky while he lived in Alabama, and he made
it a point to always go get him, go see him.
I would rally him sometimes to Kentucky. So he was
all around stand up guy. Every memory I have of
(07:24):
him is a positive one, except for the day that
he passed.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
His niece ta Kia recalls that he was always there
for people and would do anything for his family. He
always made time for the ones he loved. Eric's sense
of humor and positivity were contagious. He wasn't just popular
because of his abilities, but because of his genuine love
for others.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Hi.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
I'm Takia Lum's I'm Eric's niece, So I just.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Want to say that he was definitely like I think
the right word as a beacon in our family, where
he kind of just he lied naturally. Like his cousins
like that were around his age. They lingered around him
because he was such a leader. He was a father
finger to me and you know, this always came through
(08:16):
for the family whenever we needed him. He taught me
how to dance, he knew how to He was just
all around good.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Guy, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
And I think I get my face.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Spirits from him because you know, I always try to
keep a smile on my face or try to keep
my family happy.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Eric's sense of joy and his ability to bring people
together were essential parts of who he was. He wasn't
just about family gatherings. Eric worked hard to make everyone
around him feel valued. Eric's mother, Annie, remembers her son
as being a friendly, outgoing man. He was truly a
kind person and really would go out of his way
to help others. Annie recalls him being such a people
(08:59):
person and someone who truly truly cared.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
My name is Anna Nella Melissy, and I am the
mother of Eric Nellen who.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Was killed September twenty six, two thousand.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
And three, and his driveway.
Speaker 6 (09:14):
I will say that it was a very nice and
talented young man, and most people were saying that they
would give me to shut out their back.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
But when I say that by my son, it's really true.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
He happened to a lot of peoples.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
After high school, Eric joined the US Army in nineteen ninety.
His service took him to Germany and later to the
Persian Gulf during the Gulf War. Eric's service and the
army shaped him into a disciplined, dedicated man, known for
his sharpshooting skills and on waivering commitment. But even as
he traveled the world, Eric always kept in touch with
(09:49):
his childhood friend Tara Jones, and their relationship eventually turned
into a lasting bond. Eric and Terra's relationship blossomed later
in life, and in two thousand and three, they decided
to get married. The couple settled into a new home,
blending their families. Eric had children from his previous relationships,
and he quickly bonded with Terra's children. They built a
(10:11):
life together focused on their family and their future. Eric's children,
including his son Antonio, were really the center of his world.
On the morning of September twenty sixth, two thousand and three,
Eric followed his usual routine. He woke up early, prepared
for his day, and left for work while his wife
and children remained asleep inside their home. His family had
(10:32):
no idea what would unfold just outside the door. Eric
walked out into the carport a short distance from the
front door of his house to start his truck and
get ready for his day. It was a typical Friday
morning until it wasn't. As Eric stepped outside to start
his truck, someone was already waiting for him. At five
(10:52):
thirty a m. Multiple shots rang out, echoing through the air.
Eric was ambushed, fired at least three times, striking Eric
multiple times, and within seconds he was down, lifeless on
the concrete. The shooter fled the scene, immediately, leaving Eric's
(11:13):
body lying there, cold and unmoving. His wife, Tera, still inside,
heard the shots and rushed to gather the children, locking
them in the bedroom and escaping out the window to safety,
but by the time emergency responders arrived, Eric was already gone.
As Tara ran to a neighbor's house to call for help.
The police arrived at the scene to find Eric lying
(11:34):
lifeless just outside his home. The investigation then began, but
at first there were more questions than answers. The authorities
quickly rolled out robbery. Eric's belongings were left untouched and
there was no sign of a struggle. It left the
police wondering what was the motive for the brutal murder. Well,
(11:54):
the motive, it seemed, was personal, but what was the reason.
Police began questioning Eric's family, friends, and neighbors. Everyone they
had spoke to had nothing but praise for Eric. They
couldn't fathom why someone would want him dead. In the
early days of the investigation, law enforcement considered every possible angle,
(12:16):
but none of them led to any concrete answers. One
thing did stand out. Though the shooter had been waiting
for Eric, the time of the attack, five thirty am
was not random. It was a time that Eric followed
every single day. He left for work early, just as
he always did. This suggested that the shooter was familiar
(12:37):
with Eric's routine, perhaps even someone close to him. Annie
especially felt this inner gut. She firmly believed that the
murder of her son had been premeditated by someone who
knew Eric's habits. They timed him, They knew what time
he came out to go to work. They were already
there and just started shooting. Despite the pain, Eric's mother
(13:01):
and his family were determined to get answers. They pushed
for an investigation, hoping that someone would eventually come forward
with a clue, a piece of the puzzle that would
crack the case wide open, but unfortunately, no such breakthrough came.
Phoenix City Police initially struggled to make any headway. The
family was devastated not just by Eric's death, but by
(13:25):
the lack of progress in the investigation. Kathy explains that
they didn't hear anything from the police, that they kept
reaching out, but they were left in the dark. It
was frustrating that they didn't know where to turn. Kathy
shares more about how she felt throughout the process.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
That would contact them and try to get information, and
they were forthcoming, not initially, but eventually once we got
in our face and ain't kind of saw us and felt,
you know, for us and the grief that we were
going through. They did provide us with information. So I
don't want to make it seem as though they didn't.
(14:05):
They didn't handle my mom on the scene correctly because
they didn't acknowledge that she was a mother. They didn't
console her, They didn't say, Mike condolences, They didn't say
I will follow up with you and your family in
regards to this case. None of that happened. So she
still feels like she's unseen and unheard, and I can
totally understand that. And because of that feeling that she has,
(14:28):
that's what drives me. These two people on this podcast,
my children, that's my wife, because they suffered a loss
just as much as I did. And last but not least,
his son, he lost a father. That's what motivates me
to keep going and make myself you know, it's like
a simplest thing because of them.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Despite the lack of progress from local authorities, Cathy took
matters into her own hands. She began writing letters to
law enforcement, reaching out to media outlets, and contacting anyone
who could help bring attention to the case. She felt
like she had to do something. She couldn't just sit
around and wait for the phone to ring.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
So when my brother was killed, I immediately just started
thinking of things that I can do with people I
can reach out to to try to get reward. Money
like that was my biggest goal at first, because I
was trying to leave everything up to the law enforcement
to try to get the case off. So I wanted
to bring attention to it, so I reached out to
(15:30):
the company that he worked for. I reached out to
some of his former classmates that went to the NFL
or NBA looking on the inn of different TV shows
that would focus on cold case. So at the time,
America's most wanted was like the show for crime related
in cases.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
So I wrote to them several times. I wrote to
Nasty Grace.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
I wrote to Whole Case in forty eight hours dateline
to see who could highlight his case to break some
attention to it. So again none of that was fruitful.
I just kept moving forward. I made a list of
all law enforcement in Alabama. I wrote letters to them.
I wrote letters to the Attorney General, to anybody who
(16:13):
I can get attention from. Where the ball started moving
is when my mom and I went and sat down
with the Russell County DA at the time, his name
was Kenneth Davis. Ken Davis listened to my mom and
I and he assigned an investigator to oversee my brother's
case and things city Police department. But it's only was
one investigator in the officer. Of course, he has to
(16:35):
split his time on other cases.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
As the investigation unfolded, several theories emerged. The most prevalent
one was that the killer was someone who knew Eric,
someone who understood his schedule and knew I needed to
be alone. The calculated nature of the crime the fact
that the shooter was waiting for him at precisely the
right time, led investigators to believe that this was no
(16:57):
random act of violence. Of the attack suggested a level
of premeditation. Another theory that emerged was that Eric's murder
was a targeted hits. Some believe that the murder had
been carried out by someone with experience in committing such crimes.
The fact that there were no witnesses and no direct
evidence to point to a suspect made this theory seem possible.
(17:19):
Could someone have paid to have Eric killed? Was this
a professional hits? Others believed the murder was tied to
an embezzlement case Eric had become involved with. Eric had
been in the middle of an embezzlement case with some
people he knew. According to Kathy, he had gone to
Atlanta to meet with them just days before his death.
This connection may have been a part of the reason
(17:39):
he was targeted.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Throughout the investigation.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Well, I knew from the beginning that that was a
lingering case in regards to a federal case dealing with
an embezzlement that my brother took part in as far
as cashing the checks for one of his friends' spouses.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
The Atlanta connection is.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
That my brother and the company that the investment took
place from is headquartered here in Atlanta, and those the
friends spouse worked at that company in that accounting department
and accounts payble. So she set my brother up as
a vendor as a trucking company, and that's how the
investment started. So the Monday or two sta prior to
(18:21):
his death, him and his wife made a trip to
Atlanta to meet with the Cowlings. So they met with
Eric and Stemphany Cowing here in Atlanta, and at the time,
Stemphany gave my brother a script to say to investigate
us when they called, because she had the crime had
been discovered by that audience. She gave him the script
(18:44):
and asked him to take the blame for the for
the investment.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
But I don't know how.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
She thought that was even feasible, being that she was
the inside person no lay person can just write checks
for themselves and circumvent the system where is not discovered
for a long period of time. So fast forward to Friday,
my mom gets a call at work that my brother
(19:09):
had been shot, and she thought it was a joke
because my aunt that communicated to her is a joker
of the family, so she didn't think that she was serious.
But when she arrived on the scene, of course, she
discovered my brother's body land in his driveway and all
these people are gathered around. Amongst the people that's gathered
(19:30):
around is the people that I'm mentioning that he met
with earlier that week. So there's just a lot of
people that typically wouldn't be in the midst that was
there on a scene, according to my mom, and it's
highly suspectful. And she mentioned that there were two guys
that were apprehended in handcuffs on the ground when she arrived. However,
(19:54):
in the police report, it doesn't mention that anybody was detained,
so I found that highly so.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Ficious as well.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
The case the federal case was tried, they called me
as a witness because I was privy to the information,
not the not the details, but just the overall premise
of what was going on the persons of interest, the couple.
They were sentenced to eight years in the federal prison.
They came back home and just resumed their life as
(20:24):
though nothing happened. So like when I would visit my
mom in Columbus and see them riding up the street,
it was just kissed me off so bad because I'm like,
they're out and living their life and they could have
potentially taken a life. And I say they because when
the detective on the case, she's down to see. When
(20:46):
the two initial detectives on the case, it was Lieutenant
Deer and Detective Mike Bergo, they told us like I
came out and asked, because there was so many rumors
floating around our hometown. They were saying that the spot
was involved. They were saying her ex spouse, her ex
husband was involved, and then these two friends. Nobody knew
(21:08):
about the two friends because it was something that we
kept without our family. So if you had no knowledge
of it, you would just the fault too that the
wife and the expouse did it, which is still probable.
But when I asked the detective did they questioned him,
they said, yes, we don't think he did it. So
they told me that Eric and Stephanie Callen were their
(21:30):
main suspects.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
So with this theory, the family suspicions continued to grow stronger,
and Kathy and her family believed that this may have
been the motive behind the killing. The police, however, have
never confirmed this theory. In June two thousand and four,
nearly a year after Eric's death, the case was still unsolved.
The investigation had hit a wall, but because of Kathy's perseverance,
(21:54):
then Alabama Governor Bob Briley stepped in. He announced a
five thousand dollars reward for any information that could lead
to an arrest and conviction. It was a long shot,
but it was a step toward keeping the case alive.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
I asked them, is there something you can do to
get some reward money, and he said yes, I'm got
right to the state and see if we can get
some reward money. So he obliged and did that, and
the governor at the time was Bob Riley, and Bob
Riley did make a reward proclamation for five thousand dollars,
so we were happy for that.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Unfortunately, Governor Riley's reward did little to stir up new information,
and the case continued to grow cold despite the lack
of answers. Though Eric's family has never stopped fighting for
justice over the years, Kathy's tireless advocacy has cut the
case in the public eye in recent years. As the
twentieth anniversary of Eric's stat approached, the family renewed their efforts.
(22:51):
They reached out to Central Alabama Crime Stoppers and managed
to get a new billboard placed in Atlanta, Georgia, which
was a strategic location. Cathy says she wanted to put
the billboard up in Atlanta because she believed the people
involved in Eric's murder were from there. It just felt
like the right place to remind people that his case
is still unsolved. Though progress has been slow, Kathy and
(23:13):
her family's relentless fight for justice continues. In twenty twenty three,
the state of Alabama renewed the reward for Eric's case,
raising it to ten thousand dollars, a step forward for
a case that has been called for far too long.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
At the time, Columbus, Georgia, which is the neighboring city
for Fams City, Alabama, they had a crime stoppers at
the time, so we had a total of six thousand dollars,
so the state gave us five thousand dollars. Crime Stoppers
d it's one thousand. It just got to a point
where working on this case really consumed me, and that's
just all I could think about. And at the time,
(23:47):
I had little kids. My kids were on the verge
of being teenagers, but she wasn't quite there. So I
just had to get to a point where I had
to just let it go. And I'm literally told myself
I was gonna give it to God because it was
taking control of my life.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
As a matter of fact, it really got to.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
A point where I felt like I was I wanted
to kill myself and be suicidal because I couldn't understand
why would such a great person, Why would somebody take
such a great person? And that's just where my mind
was going. So that's the dark place that I went to.
But thank God, I was able to get away from
that and to move forward in life.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
So I put all.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
That to the rest. I would touch it every now
and then when the anniversary of his death would approach,
I would reach out, and if nothing came whether I.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Would move forward. Fast forward to the twentieth year approaching.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
I talked to my mom and I was like, hey,
you know, the twentieth years approaching, we need to do
something again.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
I go into research mode.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
I'm on Google and just write down different things that
I can try writing letters. Reached out to Central Alabama
Crime Stoppers. We went to Montgum, we had a print
day with them. Central Alabama Crime Stoppers initiated the reward
from early two thousands to be renewed, as well as
(25:11):
add an additional five thousand dollars to what we potentially
could have from the state again, so that brought the
reward to ten thousand dollars. Since then, everything has been
steadily moving forward. I think one of the first people
that I talked to was Alabama Cold Case Advocacy with
(25:31):
Mary and Carrey from Alabama Cold Case Advocacy Now are
the first people that we interviewed with and did the podcast.
And then we talked to Done with Method and Madness podcasts.
And then after that I met with Kendall from Season
of Justice. She talked to me, we cried together, and
she told me that she was going to submit my
(25:53):
application for a grant, but it would be in the spring.
So fast forward Spring com She said, you guys are
getting this grant, We're gonna put.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
A billboard up for you. She sent me the different locations.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I strategically chose the location that was closest to my
brother's home because I just wanted to remind those that
coming by that, you know, his case is still unsolved
and not unforgotten. So it was a joyous moment for
our family because it felt like we had finally accomplished
(26:26):
something after years of the case being stagnant and feeling
like the police department wasn't listening to us. Then will
we give him information? It feels like they brush it
off or with whole information from us. So it was
like a little victory for us to see that billboard
up there, and to see his space on that billboard.
It was just a joyous moment. And I know that
(26:47):
sounds crazy for a murder case, but that's how I
made us feel little happy. So it was like a
little victory.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Kathy's petition for the Attorney General's office to take over
the case also gained a lot of traction, with over
a thousand signatures now in support of the request. I'll
make sure to leave the link in the show notes,
so you can also go and sign the petition and
be a part of the fight for justice for Eric.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Because the Phoenix City Police I had been so listening
for the Attorney General to take over the case because
I just had lost faith in that police department because
Phoenix City is just such a small town and I
just never had faith in them to solve my brother's case.
So I went on change and created a petition for
(27:33):
the Attorney General's Whole Case Unit to take over the case.
And the police apartment was kind of I'm not gonna
say resistant, but they kind of like patronized.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Me, and they were like, yeah, okay, they appeased me.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
I reached out to the person the name that I
found on LinkedIn that worked for the Attorney General's office,
and I'm like, hey, so here's my brother's case here
in the Alabama and I want to see if you
could review it for potentially you got taken over the case.
Minjo had already sent letters to the Attorney's and I's
office prior to that and didn't get any response from them.
(28:07):
But I'm going to back up a little bit. Back
in two thousand and four, I reached out to the
Attorney General for the state of Alabama at that time.
His name is Troy King, and at that time he
did respond to my letters and he was like, we're
sorry for your laws. You know, I'll make sure that
all the resources we have is extended to this case.
So they accepted it. They assigned to Tony Costaldo as
(28:30):
the investigator. They was monitoring the case because there was
a federal component that's attached to it. Eventually, one of
the people that worked at the Code case unit sent
me an email.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
His name was J. D.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Shelton, and he said that we've heard from things city
that the case is solved. And I'm like, why would
someone say that when it's not true. So I immediately
called things to the police department and I'm like, hey,
mister Shelton at the AG is telling me that the
case is solved. Did you guys saw the case and
didn't notify the family And they're like, no.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
That's not correct.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
So anyway, I tried to get it undone reached out
to the AG again. It's like, hey, your office made
this mistake. How can we make this right? Long story short,
the AG is not re elected or whatever. It is
a new AG's in the office, so it's like starting
over from square one because they can rotate the investigators
as well.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
So reached out to the current AG who is Steve Marshall.
He did not respond like the previous AG had. There
was no correspondence or anything from multiple letters. So then
that motivated me to do the change dot orgician for
the office.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
And my goal is for their office to take over
the investigation because they are staffed by season law enforcement officers,
so they're former homicide detectives, FBI agent Secret Service. So
I figured with their vast explaceperience that they would, you know,
look at the case and even if they don't, it's
(30:04):
it would be French eyes on the case that's been
stalled for twenty plus years. That's where I am right now,
and as of yesterday, we crossed the threshold of one
thousand signatures, which I'm happy for. That was a huge milestone.
So I want the AG's office still to take over
the case. I would like for the numbers to continue
(30:25):
to go up because without the numbers, you know, that
doesn't get their attention. If you don't have the numbers
or the following behind you, I don't have a huge following,
and I'm okay with that because I feel as though
the people that I do have follow me and support me,
they do it religiously, like they're like strong supporters, and
I'm happy for that. So it's quality over quantity, because
(30:47):
I've still been able to get things accomplished and move
for it.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
To this day, the murder of Eric Nelms remains unsolved.
Phoenix City Police state that they continue to investigate and
the family continues to fight for answers.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Well.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
The case has gone cold, it is not forgotten.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
When it approached the twentieth anniversary, as I said, I
stepped away for a while. I told myself I would
put a notice in my calendar where I would contact
him every month on the twenty six because that's the
day my brother died. So every month on the twenty sixth,
I send them an email. And at first I was calling,
and then something that the captain has assigned to the case,
(31:27):
you know, told my mom, my daughter, and I he
recanted later.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
That taught me a valuable lesson.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
I don't want to talk to you because you can
always say, oh, that's hearsay. So I always reach out
to him via email, so that it's in writing, so
that's my routine with him.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
My mom and I.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Recently had a meeting with It was supposed to be
with the police chief, but the police chief opted out
and sent the assistant police chief, and when my mom
and I asked him, of course cinceeniguards to the status
of the case. They're saying, we've exhausted all the leaves,
but the case is still active. And a lot of
people that I've talked to you, they was like, how
(32:09):
can it be when us a cold case? So we
had a lot of questions and their answer was, we
can't discussed up with you. And if they knew going
into the meeting that that was the stance they were
gonna take, while waste our time. I traveled two hours
to come to Columbus from Atlanta just to have this
meeting and just for you to tell me no comment
(32:30):
pretty much, so that pissed me off.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
Again.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
I'm okay with being the angry sister and my mom
could be the one that they have sympathy towards, because
that's just what it is. So that's my role. I'm
okay with that. I don't care about rustling feathers because
what do I have to lose at this point, like
my brother is gone and this case.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Is still on solft.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
So on Twitter, I have specific people that I reached out.
I reached out to everybody that had something to do
with lost worts, with cold case advocacy, things like that.
So amongst those people with this guy named Douglas McGregor,
and he's a part of this group called the IRIS,
and I forgot what it stands for, but they're like
a team of an investigative group. So we did talk
(33:16):
and he said, this is a case that my group
will be interested in and we're willing to accept the case,
but the contingency is that finn City Police has to
give us access to the case file. So my diligent
self write a letter. I wrote it to both the DA,
I wrote one to the General and I wrote one
to the captain who's assigned to my brother's case. And
(33:37):
immediately he said, no, I'm not inviting anybody into my case.
It's an active homicide investigative investigative investigation. So I'm like, well,
what's active about it? What's why? He didn't reply back.
But in our meeting, what we had with an assistant
police chief a few weeks ago last month.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
He was like, oh, we're not gonna invite no on
law enforcement.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Well, when I sent the when I sent the letter
to each of them requesting that they released the case
file either to me, my mom or to Similarest team,
the team was not asking for the files to leave
their offense. They were gonna ask him for the police
to step out of the room or anything like that.
They were willing to sign a non disclosure agreement. But
(34:22):
again Phoenix said, police shut that down. That pissed me
off once again. And that's my word when it comes
to fix City's kissing me off because that's what they
constantly do. So these people, Douglas provided me a flyer
with all their credentials on it, like these people that
are solicited by police officers and FBI all around the
(34:43):
United States when they have a case that they want
these specialists on. So they are former homicide, detective, forensics,
anything that you would want saw the case, they have
it on their team.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
So again they denied that.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
I wanted to mention that as well because we're at
a standstill. And my thing is if Fennia City say
they've exhausted all of their resources and have no new
leads in regards to this case, and the case is
not moving forward and you're not giving it to the
a's office, then why not let a person come in
and take a look at it, like what do you
have to lose? And it's my understanding that it's a
(35:20):
lot of times it's due to an ego trip, like
how they invite somebody else in to come solve our case. Well,
if that's your position, then do their job.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
Do the job.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
And that's all we expect from them is for them
to do their job. It's not step to the sign.
Speaker 6 (35:38):
I would like to say that I wish and pray
that in instead of police caught me with the interviewing
some of the people that was in love in this case,
they have been given information and then they said, he'll say,
but I know for a fact that it's not his say.
So I need them to do their job and stop
telling me that that they can't make deep people come
(36:00):
in and talk to them when now so close to
the case and some of them was involved in the
shooting of my son, and they still won't do anything.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
And I need them to really do that job.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
But the question still remains, who killed Eric Nellins. Was
it someone close to him, someone who knew his schedule
and knew exactly when to strike. The lack of evidence,
the absence of witnesses, and the fact that nothing was
stolen from Eric makes this case a difficult one to crack,
but there's always hope that someone somewhere will come forward
(36:35):
with the crucial piece of information needed to solve this case.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
When he passed out, I think I was fifteen to sixteen.
I was like a freshman in high school.
Speaker 5 (36:45):
My mom came and picked me up from school and
we drove down to Columbus. Nobody told her what was
going on at the time until he got to my
grandy's house, and when we found out what happened is
it's just disbelief. Because he wasn't a street guy, he
wasn't a bad person. No known enemies, Like I said,
(37:05):
I never seen them in the confrontation or never seen
him angry. And then few days after he's passed and out,
hearing my mom's account of what happened the first forty
eight to seventy two hours is probably the most crucial
time trying to solve a murder. Into neglect the family
or my mom's input and she had crucial information just
(37:27):
to kind of the incompetence of the police department. And
I feel like since they've been passing the buck, it's
kind of an embarrassment. Through her reaching out to different
people that are willing to do the due diligence and
request records, so on and so forth, speaks to how
(37:50):
it may be embarrassed incident, even though this is a
different administration as far as the police department is concerned.
These are different people, different leaders in the police department.
It's kind of a flat in the face because even
see SBI feels like the money was more important than
the life. When these two things were clearly connected. Whether
(38:10):
there's a connection to his murder or not, these things
are connected in some form or fashion, whether it came
from the people involved in the initial crime or somebody
in retaliation, who knows. But to not investigate those things
was a slap in the face. Amongst the people that
(38:31):
would hang around here, such as his friends, his wife,
they kind of fell by the Wayfiule and these were
they were a constant in his life.
Speaker 4 (38:39):
There were a constant in our life, whether he was
there or not.
Speaker 5 (38:43):
So for him to be gone and those people disappear
as well.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
It just raised all kind of red flags.
Speaker 5 (38:52):
And these are the same people that my mom mentioned
to the police department for us to be able to
piece things together and see them for what they are
or see the connections, and then the police departments investigative
teams neglected themselves.
Speaker 4 (39:11):
It feels like a slap interface.
Speaker 5 (39:13):
And we were angry for years how they handled it
and how the people around my uncle were behaving, And
now that anger is more focused into a positive outcome
seeking justice for my uncle. So at this point, the billboards,
(39:34):
the constant reposting and posting about him in his case,
and a reward is to remind people that we haven't forgot.
There's a reward out for any information and we're seeking
justice at any costs. So we'll spend the time, the money,
the resources. Whether the departments want to do it or not,
(39:57):
we'll keep binding it until something comes out, because, like
I said, a lot of this is kind of obvious
as far as something to look into, and we just
want enough energy behind this and enough attention behind us
to where it can't be ignored. You have to look
(40:18):
into it, whether it's the police department or these investigative groups.
I even think she had trouble getting the atopsy report,
which is ridiculous. And his sister are is too closest relatives,
and for them not to be able to get those documents,
it's strange. And for his ex wife to not want
(40:38):
to be a part of the justice seeking it's even stranger.
So I can't expouse any wrong doings on anybody.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
I can only speak to.
Speaker 5 (40:51):
How it feels once he's gone and how they behaved
when he was here, because, like my sister said, he
was a beacon, so people grab towards him and gravitated
towards our family. And for him to be gone and
the love that they have for our family and air
quotations to seem like it no longer exists.
Speaker 4 (41:12):
Is uh. It's puzzling.
Speaker 5 (41:16):
And like I said, it's a slap in the face
for all of those things not to be looked at
and investigated. It's a major void that's missing in our family.
Even though he's been gone so long, he was so
important that when different situations will arise after his death,
I would always think, how would this be different if
(41:36):
he was here?
Speaker 4 (41:38):
How would this be different if he was here?
Speaker 5 (41:40):
You know, and he has a son now that has
a daughter, so he would have been a grandfather. And
his son followed in his footsteps and joined the army
as well, and it's.
Speaker 4 (41:52):
Doing very, very good.
Speaker 5 (41:56):
But it's even hard for him to advocate for his father.
I can only imagine, you know, the thoughts that he
have even seeing our reposting and posting on some of
this stuff. So we'll speak for him, even though right
now he may may not be mostly able to advocate
for himself. Will advocate for him and his father because,
(42:19):
like I said, it's such a big void that's missing
from my family and justice, justice is needed because he
didn't deserve. He didn't deserve that at all. Nobody in
our family deserved not to have him present. He deserved
to live as long as guy would allow. Yeah, for
somebody whatever they thought into their all hands.
Speaker 4 (42:42):
It's just not right, especially because of the kind of person.
Speaker 5 (42:45):
He was, and just totally don't want to, totally don't
want to, especially for everybody else to just move on
with their lives and act like he didn't exist, or
act like he didn't do things for them or really
really be there for them in their time and need
so We're going to have a cake for him.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
We're going to have Kate four surname and.
Speaker 5 (43:05):
His grandchild and my grandmother and my sister and me
and anybody that'll come after. Will will keep his name alive,
will keep his legacy alive, because that's the kind of
person that's missing.
Speaker 4 (43:19):
He deserves to be celebrated, and he deserves you.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
If you have any information, no matter how small it
may seem, please contact Crime Stoppers of Central Alabama at
three three four two on five seven eight six seven.
You can remain anonymous. Your tip could be the one
that finally brings justice to Eric Nullins and brings answers
to his family. If you know something, say something. I
(43:49):
want to personally thank Eric's family for partnering with me
to bring you this episode. Please make sure to share
share this episode so we can continue to bring awareness
to Eric's kse and hopefully one day he will get
the justice he deserves. Thank you so much for joining
me today for this episode of Case Uncovered and for
(44:10):
listening to Eric's story. Make sure to connect with me
on Facebook and Instagram at Jen Rivera Investigates. Until next time,
stay curious, stay vigilant, and stay safe out there, fireeyes, media,
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