A Mobile man is behind bars, accused of murder in the shooting death of a 19-year-old whose body was discovered days earlier in an open field in Prichard.
Prichard police arrested 21-year-old Kendrick McMillian on a murder charge tied to the death of James TaMichael Simpson, according to Prichard Chief of Staff Philip Stiell. Simpson’s body had been found the preceding Saturday morning, setting off a homicide investigation that culminated in McMillian’s arrest days later.
McMillian was booked into the Mobile County Metro Jail early in the afternoon. Stiell credited residents for helping investigators build the case, saying the arrest came about “through the cooperation of the citizens of Prichard and the police department.”
“Our citizens are finally saying enough,” Stiell said, adding that the department would continue to lean on tips from the community to solve violent crimes. “We continue to ask them to step forward with these and any other crimes and things of that sort that go on in the city.”
Court and jail records show McMillian had faced other charges earlier in the year, including loitering for the purpose of drug activity, possession of a controlled substance and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Prichard, a small city bordering Mobile, has struggled for years with gun violence, and city officials have repeatedly pointed to community cooperation as key to closing homicide cases. Stiell’s comments reflected a broader push by Prichard leadership to encourage residents to share information with investigators rather than staying silent.
No additional details about a motive or the relationship, if any, between McMillian and Simpson were released as the investigation continued. Prosecutors are expected to present the case to a Mobile County grand jury as the legal process moves forward.
Anyone with further information about the case was asked to contact Prichard police. Homicide investigations in the city often rely on exactly the kind of tips city officials praised in announcing the arrest, underscoring the department’s continued push for community engagement in solving violent crime.