Birmingham, Ala. - Around his neighborhood, he was simply known as "Peanut."  But his real name was Clarence Bandy.

Back in September, he was found dead behind his home along 13th Way Southwest.  The killer still hasn't been found, but as Chief A.C. Roper shows us, people in the neighborhood can share what they know without fear of retaliation.

From Chief Roper:

"Clarence 'Peanut' Bandy lived in a home with a few friends.  He was well-known around the neighborhood as someone who did favors and hardly asked for anything in return.  But for some reason, a few months ago, someone killed him.

Peanut's body was found on the morning of September 11, 2009.  You might recall, it was raining heavily that day.  Peanut's body was in a shed near the house, and people said they hadn't seen him since the previous evening, when he was going to the store.

The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.  We believe it happened sometime between 7:30 on the evening of September 10 and 7:30 in the morning on September 11.

The key to finding Peanut's killer is for someone to tell us who had a grudge.  Or maybe Peanut had expressed concern for his safety.  Maybe he had something someone else wanted.  Or maybe he owed somebody something, but they decided to take his life instead.

No matter what you've seen or heard, I want you to feel safe calling Crime Stoppers.  We don't want your name, and we never record the call.  You have to understand, it's up to people like you to take a stand, tell us the real story, and allow us to make your neighborhood safe.

Crime Stoppers will not make you go to court.  And there's a cash reward in this case.

Clarence "Peanut" Bandy always helped his neighbors.  Now it's time to help him.

With Crime Stoppers, I'm Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper."

To reach Crime Stoppers, dial (205) 254-7777.  Also, you can text 7777 to the word CRIMES.  And encrypted tips can also be submitted online by going to www.birminghamcrimestoppers.org and clicking on the "submit an online tip" link.  No matter which method you choose, you will remain anonymous.

All tipsters receive private code numbers and can use their code number to claim a cash reward if their tip is the first to lead to an arrest.

Crime Stoppers is a partnership between local law enforcement, the Birmingham Business Alliance and ABC 33/40.  Together, our goal is to make our community a safer place to live and work.

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