Sins & Survivors: A Las Vegas True Crime Podcast - The Unsolved Murder of Eric Nelams

Episode Date: November 18, 2025

When you talk to people who knew Eric Nell-ums, they don’t start with how he died. They start with how he lived. They talk about his laughter, his kindness, his love for family, and the way he looked out for everyone around him. He was a soldier, a father, a brother, an uncle, and a friend, and someone who carried joy into every room he entered.But on a quiet morning in Phenix City, Alabama, that joy was stolen from everyone who loved him. Eric was shot and killed in his own driveway before the sun came up, and more than twenty years later, no one has been held accountable.https://sinspod.co/100https://sinspod.co/100bloghttps://sinspod.co/100sourceshttps://sinspod.co/100subhttps://sinspod.co/missingteensBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sins-survivors-a-las-vegas-true-crime-podcast--6173686/support.Domestic Violence Resourceshttp://sinspod.co/resourcesClick here to become a member of our Patreon!https://sinspod.co/patreonVisit and join our Patreon now and access our ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content & schwag! Get ad-free access for only $1 a month or ad-free and bonus episodes for $3 a monthApple Podcast Subscriptionshttps://sinspod.co/appleWe're now offering premium membership benefits on Apple Podcast Subscriptions! On your mobile deviceLet us know what you think about the episodehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2248640/open_sms

I've been thinking we need to talk to him about. He might not listen to me. But yeah, as good a time as any. Okay, I'll give it a go. If he ever takes those earphones out. Vaping is harmful to your child's health. Nicotine addiction can affect their concentration, sleep and moods. They're much more likely to smoke when they're older too.

So take a deep breath and talk to them today. Get the facts about vaping and nicotine. Visit hse.e. forward slash vaping from the HSE. To listen ad-free, visit sinspod.co slash subscribe. Starting at $2.99 a month, you'll also get access to our exclusive bonus content episodes when you join through Patreon or Apple subscriptions. Thanks for supporting the show. When you talk to people who knew Eric Nellums, they don't start with how he died.

They start with how he lived. They talk about his laughter, his kindness, his love for family, and the way he looked out for everyone around him. He was a soldier, a father, a brother. An uncle and a friend and someone who carried joy into every room he entered. But on a quiet morning in Phoenix City, Alabama, that joy was stolen from everyone who loved him. Eric was shot and killed in his own driveway before the sun came up, and more than 20 years later, no one has been held accountable.

Hi, and welcome to sins and survivors, a Las Vegas true crime podcast, where we focus on cases that deal with domestic violence, as well as missing persons and unsolved cases. I'm your host Sean. And I'm your co-host, John. Welcome to our 100th episode. And we just really want to extend our deepest thanks to all of our listeners and subscribers, especially those who have supported us from the beginning. Everything you've done for us means so much to us both. This week, we are bringing you the story of an unsolved murder from Alabama. This story is outside of what we'd normally cover on the podcast, but it's deeply connected to our mission and purpose, which is to raise awareness and help families.

We've mentioned before how we've had the opportunity to meet with families and survivors at conventions, and we've connected with this family a few times. Thanks to assistance from true crime researcher Haley Gray, we are bringing you the story of the murder of Eric Nellums. For this episode, Haley was assisted by Beth White's, and a lot of this information comes straight from Eric's family, his sister Kathy, who we've met and spoken to several times, and his mother Annie, who we've also met, as well as other family members. Kathy and Annie are so genuine and so warm

and Kathy speaks about Eric with this mix of pride and heartbreak that stays with you. Like so many families, they are on a journey to get answers and justice and we want to walk with them on that journey and do what we can to spread the word about what happened to Eric. Las Vegas is such a transient place you just never know who's listening and who might be the lead that solves this case. First, before we dive into the case, though,

we have three similar recent missing person cases to share this week. These three cases are all recent cases of missing teenagers around the same age, but they're all very short on details. For two of the missing teens, we have photos we'll share on our social media, and we'll also create short links to their namus missing person pages. And, of course, you can find the full list of missing persons being maintained by Metro at syspod.com slash metro missing. The first case is a 15-year-old missing teenage girl named Fajar Chowdhury. She was last seen on March 31st, 2023 here in Las Vegas. She apparently ran away from home. She is 17 years old today.

She is 5'2 and was 130 pounds at the time of her disappearance, though, of course, she would probably be taller now. She's listed as Native American or Alaska Native with black hair and brown eyes. Her short link would be Sinspod.co slash Vajar, F-J-A-R. The next one is Joshua Tolbert, who was 13 years old at his disappearance, and he would be 15 years old today. He was last seen at his home on February 9, 2003, near Bonanza and Bruce, in North Las Vegas. He is African-American with brown eyes and brown hair. He's 5'7 and 171 pounds. and he is another runaway. His link would be Sinspod.com slash Joshua.

The last one is the one we don't have a photo for. It's a boy named Goldie Williams. He was last seen October 12, 2022 here in Las Vegas. Another runaway. He was 15 years old when he disappeared or ran away, and he'd be 18 now. At the time, he was 6'3 and 160 pounds, another African American with brown hair and unfortunately we don't have a photo like I said for him but his link on Namus is sinspod.co slash Goldie If you have any information on any of these missing teens

please reach out to Metro at 702-828-3111 or Nevada Child Seekers at 702-458-7-009. This is a much longer shot but if you happen to be a runaway or exploited teen between the ages of 12 and 21, or one of these three teenagers, and you're hearing this, you can call the National Runaway Safe Line for help at 1-800-Runaway, which is 800-786-29-29. And you can also find them on Instagram at 1-800-runaway. They can provide resources for you.

They have trained volunteers and staff that will give you judgment-free support and can help you make a plan to ensure your safety. The home-free program they run, in association with Greyhound buses, can help reunite homeless or exploited youth with their families or guardians with free bus tickets home or to a safe living situation. And it's meant to highlight issues facing runaway and homeless youth and remind these kids that they aren't invisible and they aren't alone. 4.2 million youths from ages 12 to 25 experience homelessness every year. And it's a crisis that no one talks about. As John said, we'll post these missing youths pictures on our social media, and we continue to post and share stories of missing people from the Las Vegas area. So make sure that you're following us on Instagram and Facebook at Sins and Survivors.

So on to our main story this week, Eric Nellems. Eric was born on June 10, 1971. He was his mom, Annie's youngest. We mentioned his older sister Kathy, and the two of them were very close in age and were best friends. They grew up together in Columbus, Georgia, which is right on the border of Alabama and Georgia. It's about an hour and a half drive from Atlanta. One of the most interesting things I learned about Eric is that he was part of a very large blended family that grew and changed throughout his life. And technically, due to marriages, he had 15 siblings.

However, he and Kathy considered each other to be the only true siblings since they grew up together. Annie says that when he was a kid, Eric was smart, respectful, friendly, and helpful. He loved large family gatherings, parties and cookouts, and playing with other kids. It's often mentioned by friends and family that Eric was small in stature, but huge in personality. As a little boy, when they'd visit their grandmother, Eric would walk around with his chest out, grinning and waving like a mayor greeting his town. One story from their childhood that Kathy has shared was that when they were used. younger, Eric played baseball. Kathy said everyone thought he was so little, but once they saw him out there, they were in awe. Their initial opinion was that he was too little, but he proved

himself. Family was everything to him. He was always the life of the party, and naturally he loved Christmas, the food, the laughter, the dancing, and spending time with friends and family altogether. Eric was a born leader and very charismatic. He carried that same energy all throughout his life. He was the kind of person people wanted to be around. Kathy said that wherever they went, people were always happy to see him. He was generous and giving with his family, friends, and even with strangers. His mom, Annie, recalled that once he bought a woman's shoes just because she needed them, but that was Eric, seeing someone in need and quietly fixing it. He was a Georgia sports fanatic too. He loved the Bulldogs, the Falcons, the Braves. If the team was from his home state, he

cheered for them. And even as a kid, he had a sense of style. Kathy would help him pick out his clothes and he'd finish every outfit with a hat. He'd carry himself with so much confidence, she said, even though he was short. He was the man. Here's something that John and Eric have in common. Eric was always interested in electronics and like tinkering with things to find out how they worked. Kathy remembers that when they were children, they got an Atari game console, which was like the hot toy that year. And this was a big deal Christmas gift. And, and Eric was so intrigued by it that he just had to take it apart to see how it worked. Kathy walked into the room and told him,

Mom's going to kill you. But he just smiled, put it back together, and somehow it worked perfectly. I never pulled my Atari apart, but I definitely got one probably around that same year since he and I are around the same age. After graduating from Carver High School in 1989, he wanted to turn that curiosity into a career. He enrolled at DeVry University in Atlanta to study computers and electronics. but money was tight and tuition was steep. Eventually, he had to make a hard choice and find another path forward. That's when Eric decided to join the army.

It was a practical choice, and it really suited him, a guy who was disciplined, brave, and determined to make his family proud. He was stationed all over, Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, Fort Benning in Georgia, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, and even in Germany. He also served in the Persian Gulf War. Like so much of Eric's life, he excelled in the military and earned multiple commendations for his service. His mom, Annie, told WTVM news that he received several medals while enlisted. While he was stationed at Fort Benning, he joined the Airborne School.

Since 1918, Fort Benning has been one of the toughest and most respected infantry training centers in the country. Graduates of that airborne school aren't just soldiers, their paratroopers trained to jump out of planes and into combat zones. That kind of training builds not just physical endurance, but also courage. I learned that as part of the graduation ceremony, the graduates parachute out of a plane. Kathy still remembers standing in the crowd the day her brother graduated. When she saw him float down under a parachute, she thought, wow, you're an awesome person. When he received his beret, she hugged him and told him how proud she was for all he'd accomplished. Even among his fellow soldiers, Eric stood out.

People gravitated toward him and that same warmth and confidence that he always had. After his death, some of those men reached out to Kathy and Annie just to tell them how much Eric had meant to them. They said he wasn't just a good soldier. He was a good man. After Eric left the army, he worked as a forklift driver at Kodak Polychrome in Columbus, Georgia. And his life was centered around family. In 1994, he got married for the first time, and not long after, they welcomed a son, Antonio. Eric loved being a father.

Even after the marriage ended in 1999, he made every effort to stay involved in his son's life. Antonio lived with his mother in Kentucky, but Eric drove up whenever he could. He didn't let distance or money stop him from being there for his boy. A few years later, Eric married again. His second wife, Molly, already had two children from a previous relationship, and together they built a blended family in Phoenix City, Alabama, right across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus, where Kathy lived. Eric and Molly bought a home in the middle of a cul-de-sac on level court in the Carpenter's Way subdivision. Eric saw his sister Kathy often.

She was a single mom with two little ones and worked nights at a hospital, usually running on fumes. Eric would come over, make coffee, play with the kids, and help out around the house without being asked. Kathy said, that speaks to his character because I didn't have to ask. He just did it automatically. He was the kind of man who noticed when people needed help and just took care of it. her kids adored him but he had a special bond with her daughter to kea to her eric was more than an uncle she told project cold case that he was a positive role model and father figure to me he always showed up for us and was very involved she still talks about how he taught her how to dance to cook and how to carry herself with confidence at a cousin's wedding eric was as always the life of the reception dancing for hours while the whole family circled around him clapping and laughing they all treasure this memory and and it captures exactly who he was. Takea said that when she was with him,

she carried herself differently. She said he always walked with his head held high and being near him made her want to do the same. He modeled confidence. That influence extended to Kathy's son, Vincent, too. He remembers Eric as the guy everyone in the family looked up to. He was the kind of guy that would show up no matter what. If someone needed help moving, he was there.

If a cousin's car broke down, Eric would be there to figure it out. Vincent called him a man of the community, and a man of the people. Vincent can't remember anyone ever saying a bad word about Eric. He said Eric had a calm way about him, always respectful, never angry or confrontational. He remembered those long drives between Georgia and Kentucky when Eric would visit his kids and stepkids and sometimes Vincent would come along for the ride. One of his favorite memories is from one of those times Eric and Vincent drove to Kentucky together to see Eric's son and they stopped at a gas station late

at night. As Vincent stood outside, a huge white moth flew right past his face, and he completely freaked out, but Eric just laughed. Vincent said they laughed about that moth for the rest of the trip, and now every time he sees one, he thinks of Eric. Vincent said, he was always just a good person. That's the phrase that keeps coming up whenever anyone talks about him. He wasn't perfect. No one is, but he was consistently honest, kind, and present. Vincent tries to live like him even now, and so does his son, Antonio. Eric is also remembered for his truck. A Dodge Ram, 1500, big, loud, sturdy, and absolutely his personality on wheels.

You could hear him blasting music from a block away. Eric was a fan of rap, R&B, and old school soul. He and Kathy grew up listening to their mom's 70 soul albums, so that music was like family history. Kathy said, they say music is the universal language of love, and he loved that music, and it exuded from every part of his being. Whenever Takia hears those songs now, she thinks of him and the way he danced, sing along, and turn any moment into something happy. That's who he was, and that's the energy he brought wherever he went. As we mentioned before in 2003, Eric and his wife

Molly and his two stepkids were living in a home at 2,300 level court in Phoenix City. Eric was just 32 years old. On September 26, 2003, Eric woke up and went out to his Dodge Ram to head to work. His car was parked under the carport, just steps from the front door. At approximately 5.30 a.m., gunfire broke the quiet morning. Responding officers arrived within minutes after Molly called 911 to report the shooting. Officers found Eric lying near his truck. He'd been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators determined the shooting happened before he even made it into his vehicle.

Detectives began collecting evidence immediately. They recovered several shell casings and lifted late. fingerprints from Eric's truck. According to the family, that evidence hasn't led to any confirmed suspects. Investigators also noted that none of Eric's belongings were taken. His wallet, his phone,

and jewelry were still on him, which indicated the motive wasn't robbery. I've been thinking, we need to talk to him about it. He might not listen to me. But yeah, as good a time as any. Okay, I'll give it a go. If he ever takes those earphones out. Vaping is harmful to your

child's health. Nicotine addiction can affect their concentration, sleep, and moods. They're much more likely to smoke when they're older, too. So take a deep breath and talk to them today. Get the facts about vaping and nicotine. Visit hse.i. forward slash vaping from the HSE. Police canvassed the area and located one witness. The witness reported seeing two men fleeing from the scene and running toward a black car. She could describe their body types, clothing, and overall appearances, but not their faces. Nick's police later said, we were able to rule out it being a robbery type situation or something like that, but we haven't been able to rule out anything else at this point in time. Eric's mother, Annie, was not notified by authorities. She learned of her son's death through a family

member. She said, his wife never called me and the police never called me. My sister called and said that my son had been shot and that I needed to come as soon as possible. At first, I didn't believe it, but as I made my way to the house, I felt something was wrong. There was a deep hurt in my chest. When she arrived, she found him lying in the driveway. He was my baby, my only son. It hurt me and his sister and his son. To this day, no arrests have been made, but his family has a good idea of what the motive might be

and who might have wanted to kill him. This is the part of the story I only learned about recently as we were working on this episode, but I think it could be critical in understanding what happened. In the weeks leading up to the murder, Eric had gotten caught up in an embezzlement scheme, involving a woman named Stephanie Cowling and her husband Eric Cowling. From around July 2000 through May of 2002, Stephanie was employed as a line hall manager at Excel

Direct Incorporated. It's been reported she was fired from this job for performance-related problems. At the end of 2002, Stephanie was hired as a domestic manager at D.HL. Danza's Air and Ocean. She worked there until September of 2003. Both D.H. and Excel would later accuse Stephanie of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. I also want to mention that Eric never worked for either of these companies. While Stephanie worked at Excel and DHL, she and her husband figured out a way to commit fraud and embezzle money by creating fake vendors and fake freight bills. They recruited people to act as third parties, people not involved in trucking at all.

She'd set them up in the system as a fake vendor and the companies would pay these fake bills. the third party would receive the payment and they'd split the proceeds with Stephanie and her husband. At some point, Eric Cowling approached Eric Nellums and asked him if he would act as one of those third parties. Stephanie added the made-up vendor name ERI, E-R-I-E, Nellums, to the company's payment systems. The company's mail checks to that name, Eric cashed them, and most of the money went straight back to the Cowlings. Eric's family doesn't believe he made much money from this. Kathy always said he probably agreed because he wanted to help his family not to live some lavish life. The Nellums drove used cars, they had bills and they had debt. She said

if he'd been making real money, he would have used it to help his mom and sister because that's just who he was. When D.HL uncovered the fraud, they called Excel, and Excel realized Stephanie had pulled the same scam there too. Investigators would later discover that between both companies, the cowlings stole $453,054.54 and $40, almost $800,000 in $2025. Stephanie's boss confronted her on September 21st, just five days before Eric's murder. He asked who E.R. I.E. Nellums was. She said she knew, but she had to gather paperwork. She left work that day and she never came back. Two days later, on September 23rd, the cowlings met with Eric and Molly at their house.

Stephanie wanted everyone's stories to line up before the company investigators started asking questions. She gave Eric two papers, a fake $2,900 freight bill in his name, and a handwritten sheet full of trucking terms and contacts, basically a cheat sheet to make him sound legitimate. Court documents described it as a script of what Eric was supposed to say when investigators interviewed him. That paperwork was later found in Eric's house. Stephanie also tried to get him to take the fall for the scam, but he refused. He told Kathy what was going on.

Three days later, he was dead. After Eric's murder, the family wanted for the police to connect those dots, but it doesn't look like that connection was ever thoroughly investigated. For example, the cowlings lived in Atlanta, but they'd been seen in Phoenix City the day Eric was killed, and it's not clear why they would be more than 100 miles from home on that day. Also, when investigators searched the cowling. House later for the fraud case, they found a gun. But because it was a white-collar crime investigation, that weapon was never tested for fingerprints or ballistics. The two cases, the embezzlement and the

murder, were handled by completely different agencies, and it seems like they never talked to each other. It's unknown if that gun might have solved the case because it went into evidence untested. In the court documents related to the Cowling's fraud case, Eric's murder is a literal footnote. Annie has shared early on that she tried to tell the police about a conversation she'd had with Eric two days before his murder, something that she thought might help figure out who killed him, but no one called her back for days. And by the time they finally spoke, that lead had gone cold. In 2006, federal prosecutors charged the cowlings with 60 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud. They both took plea deals. Stephanie got

42 months, her husband got 36, and they were ordered to pay restitution in the amount that was stolen. The couple was released from prison in 2009. As the years of past, Eric's family has refused to let his story fade. They became their own investigators, gathering documents, talking to former co-workers, reaching out to anyone who might remember something, and piecing together what they could from every lead. They've always believed Eric's murder was connected to the fraud case and that the Cowlings weren't the only ones involved. Over time, new rumors started to circulate. Some people in Columbus and Phoenix City believe Molly, Eric's wife, could have been involved. Now, Molly's never been charged with anything connected to Eric's murder. And Kathy wants to believe

she wasn't because she's family. And not to mention the kids were in the house when he was killed. Shortly before his death, Eric had told his family that things at home weren't good. He and Molly were having serious problems. He'd asked her to move out and even change the locks. But just a week before he died, they reconciled and she moved back in. One of the lingering questions is that whoever shot Eric had to know his routine. He was shot as soon as he came out of the house. Annie said, someone that knew Eric's schedule had to tell somebody else what time he comes out there to crank it up because they were there before he came out the door.

They were sitting on ready. In her search for answers, Kathy reached out to a private investigation team called Iris, I-R-I-S investigative strategies, a group of retired law enforcement officers, forensic specialists, and behavioral analysts. They were interested in reviewing Eric's case, but they needed the official file from the Phoenix City Police Department. However, when Kathy requested his file, the department refused. They said there was still an active lead in 2004, though nothing has ever come of it.

Kathy even offered to have Iris sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect the integrity of the file, but she was denied again. This just raised more questions. Why would Phoenix City turn away from help in a 20-year-old case? The family suspects this means that the case exposes how many opportunities had been missed in those first few days after the murder. Vincent said they're not out to point fingers. They just want to know who killed Eric.

They've given the police names, rumors, and leads, but they say at times it's been like talking to a brick wall. They understandably feel dismissed and ignored. Annie said that when she's tried to have, help, she runs into silence. In recent years, the family has been working diligently to improve their relationship with investigators in the hopes of getting answers. In 2024, Phoenix City Police told the citizens of East Alabama newspaper that investigators had looked at two motives, white-collar crime and foul play. They acknowledged there's a reasonable suspicion of a murder-for-hire plot. The department

said homicide cases never closed. They might go dormant, but they always stay open. For Eric's family, that's not enough. Annie told reporters two decades later, we have not even started to get over this. It's every day I live with this hurt. She said, a lot of people know what happened. The Phoenix City Police Department has got to prove what I already know. I pray for his killers to come forward. My son didn't deserve that. Your friend isn't always your friend. And you don't know when they're your enemy until it's too late. More than 20 years have passed. Eric's son and stepdaughter have followed in his footsteps and both join the army, continuing his legacy of service. The family keeps his memory alive however they can. They've launched petitions and raised reward

money and worked with organizations that help fund cold case investigations. In 2025, they received a $5,000 grant from the Higher Hope Foundation to increase the reward fund and a local billboard company donated space to spread the word. Annie still believe someone paid for Eric's murder, maybe not to protect Stephanie and her husband, but to silence others who might have been involved. Vincent says investigators need to make people uncomfortable enough until they tell the truth. He believes any person who is involved should face justice.

Kathy admits her family has lived in fear for years. They were afraid that pushing too hard might bring retaliation from whoever is responsible for Eric's death. But now she hopes the people responsible have lived with that same fear every single day since 2003. For her, time hasn't dulled the pain. She says that she misses him every single day. They want people to remember Eric for who he really was, a devoted son, a soldier, a proud father, and a loving brother and uncle. If you have any information about the murder of Eric Bernard Ellums, please contact Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215 Stop, or the Phoenix City Police Department at 334-44-44-48-280.

You can also email tips to PCPD at phoenix city al.gov. A $15,000 award is being offered for information leading to arrest and conviction. You can also help by sharing a story and his photo on social media. And you can support the family by following the Justice for Eric Nellems, that's E-R-I-C-N-E-L-A-M-S, pages on Instagram and TikTok. And you can also visit their link tree, Justice for Eric Nellums, for more information. We're thinking of Kathy, Annie, and all of Eric's loved ones, and we keep hoping for a break in the case that leads to the justice they need and deserve. Cases like Erics remind us that behind every headline is a family still waiting for answers, because what happens here happens everywhere. Thanks for listening.

Visit sinspod.com.com slash subscribe for exclusive bonus content and to listen ad-free. Remember to like and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and threads at Sins and Survivors. If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice. You can contact us at Questions at Sins and Survivors.com. If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence or need support, please reach out to local resources or the National Domestic Violence Hotline. A list of resources is available on our website, sins and survivors.com. Sins and Survivors, a Las Vegas true crime podcast, is research written and produced by your host, Sean and John. The information shared in this podcast is accurate at the time of recording. If you have questions, concerns, or corrections, please email us. Links to source material for this episode can be found on our website, sins and survivors.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast creators, hosts, and their guests. All individuals are innocent until proven guilty. This content does not constitute legal advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with legal professionals for guidance.