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The Driveway Murder: Who Killed Army Vet Eric Nelams in Cold Blood?

Army veteran Eric Nelams was found shot to death outside his Phenix City home, and the motive remains a mystery.

Rivy Lyon
7 min readJan 12, 2025
Eric Nelams’ life was cut short in a mysterious and unsolved murder in 2003. Season of Justice

In the early morning hours of September 26, 2003, 32-year-old Eric Nelams stepped out of his home on Level Court in Phenix City, Alabama. He was getting ready to head to work. The sun wasn’t up yet, and the neighborhood was quiet. Eric’s day had barely begun.

But just as he reached his vehicle, gunshots rang out and Eric fell to the pavement.

Inside the house, his wife and children were still asleep, unaware that their lives had just changed forever. By the time police arrived around 5:40 a.m., Eric was lifeless, lying in the carport. He had been gunned down and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Someone had murdered him in cold blood, right there next to his own home and family. Nearly 20 years have passed and the question still haunts everyone who loved him: Who would want Eric dead?

Eric’s murder was as shocking as it was mysterious. Police quickly ruled out robbery as a motive; nothing was stolen from him or the home. Despite questioning several people, the investigation hit a wall. No arrests were made, and the case went cold.

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Rivy Lyon
Rivy Lyon

Written by Rivy Lyon

Investigative Journalist | Criminology, psychology & sociology B.A. | I’ve loved true crime since Forensic Files was Medical Detectives!

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