Man sentenced in cold case homicide of Carver High School student

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) – A Montgomery County man has been sentenced in the fatal shooting of a Carver High School student in 2019.

Montgomery County District Attorney Azzie Oliver says Lavonte Frazier pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 50 years for killing 16-year-old Jaylan Saunders, who was a freshman at the school.

Oliver said Saunders was asleep in his bed and wasn’t the intended target.

As Action 8 News has reported, evidence showed that on January 24, 2019, officers responded to a home in the 1100 block of Hill Street after it was struck multiple times by gunfire. When police arrived, they found Saunders with a fatal gunshot wound.

Oliver says investigators determined the shooting was a targeted attack, noting all recovered shell casings were found directly outside Saunders’ bedroom window. Further investigation revealed that the person targeted had left the home before the shooting, she said.

Oliver says the case was ultimately solved through the dedicated work of the Montgomery County Cold Case Unit. The gun that was used was recovered during a traffic stop in Prattville, and was linked back to Frazier, providing a critical breakthrough in the investigation, she said.

“This case is a heartbreaking reminder of how senseless violence can take a young life and change a family forever. Jaylan was only 16 years old. He had his whole life ahead of him, and that future was violently taken away from him and his family. While nothing can bring him back, solving this cold case can help his loved ones find a path forward. I am also grateful that the person responsible is now off the streets and has been held accountable for what he did,” Oliver said.