Nicholas Kenneth Ratliff, a 36-year-old man from Detroit, was shot and killed in Bessemer on Dec. 6, 2025, and nearly a year later investigators are still asking the public for help cracking the case. Police believe the shooting happened between 7:40 p.m. and 7:50 p.m., and a reward is now on the table for anyone with information that leads to an arrest.
According to WBRC 6 News, Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama is working with Bessemer police on the investigation and is offering a $5,000 reward if a tip leads to an arrest. The outlet reports that detectives believe a stolen vehicle was involved in the shooting, and that the vehicle was later recovered burned on Dec. 9, 2025, just three days after Ratliff was killed.
What Happened That Night
Ratliff was injured around 7:50 p.m. in the 4300 block of 9th Avenue North and was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:06 p.m., per ABC 33/40. The Bessemer Police Department is investigating his death as a homicide, the station reports.
The station's report does not specify why Ratliff, a Detroit resident, was in Bessemer at the time of the shooting. That detail, along with the identity of anyone involved, has not been confirmed in the case.
Burned Vehicle Raises New Questions
The timeline laid out by the same WBRC report raises as many questions as it answers. Investigators want to know what led to the stolen vehicle tied to the case being set on fire just days after the shooting, and they are asking anyone with surveillance footage, knowledge of possible participants, or information about associated vehicles to come forward.
Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama accepts tips anonymously, meaning callers do not have to identify themselves to help move the investigation forward. A $5,000 reward is being offered in Ratliff's case, though other Bessemer homicide investigations have drawn larger payouts — a combined $20,000 reward was offered in a separate 2026 Bessemer homicide involving 19-year-old Tyler Neil Alexander, according to CBS 42, which included funds from both Crime Stoppers and Gov. Kay Ivey.
For now, Ratliff's case remains open, with investigators leaning on the public to help fill in the gaps about who was involved and why.
