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Alabama family starts I-85 billboard campaign to solve murder of man killed decades ago

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Published  February 18, 2025 5:59pm EST
Alabama
FOX 5 Atlanta

Cold case: Who murdered Eric Nelams?

More than twenty years after their loved one's death in Alabama a family still wants answers. They pushed for billboards along Interstate 85 to raise awareness about the case

The Brief

    • Over twenty years after their loved one's death in Alabama, a family is still pushing for answers.
    • Eric Nelam's family pushed for billboards along I-85 to raise awareness about the case and believe someone in Atlanta may know something about who killed their loved one.
    • The family says the 32-year-old was heading to work on Sept. 26, 2003, when he was shot and killed in his driveway in Phenix City, Alabama.
    • They say Eric grew up in Columbus, but recently moved to Alabama before his death.

What they're saying:

ATLANTA - "He was a great person, he wasn't a street person. He was a person who was well-loved and well liked," Cathy Nelams, Eric's sister, said.

"It just wasn't justified, and they took a major part of our family away, whoever was responsible. But, we deserve answers as a family, and we deserve some kind of closure," Eric's nephew, Vincent Johnson, added.

"When you have such a big part of your family missing, it hurts. So, that hurt begins to turn into frustration and anger. So, you have to focus that into something positive, which is the justice that we're seeking now," Johnson explained.

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Eric Nelams (Photo submitted by family)

All these years later, Eric's family is determined to find his killer, and they believe someone in Atlanta may know who is responsible.

That's why they worked with Saben Outdoor to sponsor billboards along I-85, between Columbus and Atlanta, in order to raise awareness about his case, and the $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

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Eric Nelams' family has invested in a billboard on I-85 to solve his cold case murder.

"The more people you reach in a general area, the better chances you have. Especially after so much time has passed, and people have moved and transplanted to different places," Johnson said.

"Even if you move, you can't run from justice," he added.

What you can do:

Anyone with any information about Eric's case can contact the Phenix City Police Department at 334-448-2800. You can also submit tips anonymously through Crimestoppers at 334-215-STOP.

Eric's family has also created an online petition asking the Alabama Attorney General's Cold Case Unit to take over Eric's case.

The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Kim Leoffler interviewed Eric Nelam's sister and nephew for the details included in this article.

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