News Releases

Police Investigate Homicide on Brucewood Drive (Update)

Dec 5th, 2009

File Number: M-09-12-0284
December 5, 2009

On Thursday, December 3, 2009 at approximately 7:30 A.M. Mobile Police responded to a report of shots fired in the area of Brucewood Drive North and Brucewood Drive West. Upon arrival to the scene, officers discovered a female victim down inside the driver's seat of a Toyota Camry suffering from at least one gunshot wound to the neck area. The female victim, later identified as 63 year old Jo Ellen Russell was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Mobile Police Homicide investigators responded to the scene to conduct the investigation. Preliminary investigation has revealed that Russell was shot at least once by an unknown suspect and drove the Toyota Camry north from Brucewood Drive West and collided with a mailbox at a residence located at the intersection of Bearfork Road and Brucewood Drive West where the vehicle came to rest.

On Friday, December 4, 2009 at approximately 8:45 PM, Homicide Investigators located 17 year old Vonterry Montrell Conner in the area of Brucewood Drive West. Conner was developed as a potential suspect involved in this incident over the course of the investigation. Subsequent investigation revealed that Conner was responsible for the death of Jo Ellen Russell following the commission of a robbery. Conner was booked into Metro Jail for Capital Murder.

The investigation remains continuous, and more information will be provided as it becomes available. Mobile Police are encouraging anyone that has information regarding this incident to contact us at 208-7211 or Crime Stoppers at 208-7000.

Reported By: Interim Chief Lester Hargrove


Corporal Charles D. Bagsby Jr.
Public Information Office
Office: 208-1715
Fax: 208-1758
E-mail: charles.bagsby@cityofmobile.org