NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — More than four years after a man was murdered in the middle of a North Nashville street, his killer remains on the run.
Lisa Fleming said she misses her baby brother every day.
"It's been hard, that’s my only brother," said Fleming. "They took him from our family."
James Perry, 34, was a Nashville native who loved to cook and spend time with his family. His love of food earned him the nickname "Pac-Man" as a baby, and it stuck for the rest of his life.
Fleming said her brother would call her every day, but it's their last phone conversation she remembers the most.
"I remember him telling me, he said, 'if anything happens to me, I love you,'" recalled Fleming. "I was like, 'OK, I love you too.'"
Metro police said on September 23, 2017, Perry and his girlfriend were leaving a home on 12th Avenue N. just before 5 a.m. As they were getting into a car, the suspect approached him with a rifle and shot him multiple times. Perry's girlfriend notified police, but Perry died in the street.
"That was an evil person that did that," said Fleming.
Fleming said Perry frequently hung out in the area where he was killed, and they have family who live nearby.
Detective Matthew Filter with the Metro Nashville Police Department said it appeared the shooter targeted Perry. He said when a case goes cold, even a small piece of information can make a difference.
"Sometimes people hear things or are told something," said Filter. "Even that information can be useful for us. That's our goal to close all these cases, but we can’t do it without the public’s help."
Fleming urged anyone with information on who killed her brother to come forward.
"I just want them to tell the truth and tell what happened," said Fleming. "Don’t be afraid. Someone out there knows who did it."
If you have any information on Perry’s murder, please call the Metro Police Cold Case Unit at 615-862-7329, or Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-74-CRIME.
