Home / Crime and Justice / 25-Year Cold Case Cracked: Charlotte Homicide Suspect Arrested
25-Year Cold Case Cracked: Charlotte Homicide Suspect Arrested
31 Aug
Summary
- Suspect identified and arrested over 25 years after a 2001 homicide.
- Cold case unit reopened investigation in January 2026.
- Arrested man faces charges of first-degree murder and robbery.
After more than 25 years, a suspect has been arrested in a 2001 homicide case in east Charlotte. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's cold case unit identified Alan Marquis Phifer, 43, as the suspect in the March 2001 killing of 21-year-old Cesar Gudino Gonzalez.
Officers initially responded to a shooting on North Sharon-Amity Road on March 24, 2001, where they found multiple victims. Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene, and the case eventually went cold.
In January 2026, CMPD's Cold Case Unit reinvestigated the homicide. Following a lab report received in February 2026 that implicated Phifer, detectives obtained arrest warrants last week. Phifer was arrested on Monday and charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. Gonzalez's family has been notified, and the investigation is ongoing.
