A man who has been charged in the killing of a 62-year-old U.S. Marine veteran said he feared for his life when he fired at the victim’s car.
The Birmingham Police Department of Alabama arrested Jeffery Demon Matthews, 27, and charged him with capital murder on Aug. 10 after he allegedly shot dead Randy Rivers on Aug. 8, while Rivers was in his vehicle in Birmingham, Ala.
Officers found Rivers, who owned and operated Randy’s Landscaping and Law Service, in a crashed vehicle. Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
Military.com reached out to the Birmingham Police Department for comment.
In a preliminary hearing on the case on Wednesday, Matthews told Jefferson County District Judge William Bell that he believed Rivers was following him and this made him fear for his life, according to AL.com.
He reportedly confessed to shooting Rivers’ Lexus SUV after experiencing the purported fear.
Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Nick Taggart said Rivers was unarmed, adding that there was no evidence to substantiate Matthews’ claim.
“If we accepted Mr. Walker’s argument that [Matthews] has a right to shoot someone who is following him, every person in this courtroom would be dead,” he reportedly said. “Because I’m sure at some point, we’ve made a left turn behind somebody and a right turn behind somebody that we saw yesterday.
“That doesn’t pass the muster. The simple answer is to call the police if you’re worried.”
Veteran Deaths by Gun Data
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not track specific data relating to the number of veterans who die every year because of gun violence. But across the U.S. population, roughly 15,000 to 20,000 people die each year from gun homicides and unintentional shootings.
According to public health research from Everytown Support Fund, veterans make up roughly 1 in 10 of all U.S. gun deaths (including suicides).
Military.com recently reported about veteran deaths at the hands of gun violence.
Bonita Yvette Brown, 64, of Birminghan, Ala., was indicted Aug. 28, accused of murdering 64-year-old veteran Thomas Williams in 2025. The two had been in a romantic relationship, but after he ended it, she allegedly shot him three times.
A 63-year-old veteran, Dale Henry Spry, died in a mass shooting that took place Sept. 2 in Minneapolis, Minn.
The homicide investigation into Matthews remains ongoing. He is being held at Jefferson County Jail without bond.
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