Rivers charged with murder

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 3, 2004

On Oct. 9, 2003, Bruce Gray was staying at the home of a close friend, Cedric Williams, on Commodore Drive when, the power went out.

When Gray went outside to check the meter, he was shot several times.

He died that evening after being transported to Birmingham for treatment.

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It was 15 days before his 37th birthday.

Arthur Rivers, who was arrested and charged with the crime on Friday, had just turned 19 seven days before the incident.

Rivers was detained for questioning last Friday. During the course of questioning, police were able to gather enough evidence to formally charge Rivers.

“We picked him up and one thing led to another,” Green said. “He eventually gave us what we wanted.”

The arrest is little consolation for Gray’s family, who still struggle with the loss of the “baby” of the family.

“He didn’t have to kill him,” Dorothy Marzette, Gray’s sister, said when she learned of the arrest.

After a year, Marzette’s mother, Doris Gray still has trouble coping with her son’s death.

“I don’t know if you can talk to her without her breaking down,” a visibly shaken Marzette said. “My mom was real close to him. He’s the baby of the family.”

Marzette said it’s been no easier on his wife.

“He’s still married,” she said.

Gray was married to Doris Mae Gray. He had one daughter and three stepchildren.

While police finally have a suspect in the case, they still don’t have a motive for the crime.

“We have not really concluded the investigation,” Selma Police Chief Robert Green said.

Neither Marzette nor Ruth Gray, another sibling, could understand why anyone would want to harm their little brother.

“He was a good worker,” R. Gray said. “He was just a nice boy.”

Marzette believes the crime may have resulted from a case of mistaken identity.

“I believe he just took the bullet for somebody else,” Marzette said. “He was a nice person. He loved to give.”

Rivers is currently being held pending a bond hearing in the Dallas County Jail. Rivers also faces nine other charges still pending hearings in the Dallas County Circuit Court, including assault in the first degree and domestic violence. Rivers has also been charged in the theft of $43,000 from a Japanese film crew earlier in the year.

Will knowing a suspect has been found help Gray’s family deal with his loss?

“No,” Marzette said. “It’s been rough. We’ve lost other family members, but not sisters and brothers.

“I just hope justice is served.”