Birmingham man vanished in 2006; family claims police mishandled case from the start

ABC 33/40
Gracie Johnson
September 3, 2025

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Nearly two decades have passed since Lemuel Yarbrough vanished, leaving his family desperate for answers. Yarbrough was last seen in 2006 at an AutoZone in Birmingham’s Five Points West community. His son, Ralph Henderson, said the investigation into his father’s disappearance was mishandled from the start.

“Years have passed, 19 years to be exact and no one has done anything,” said Henderson.

Henderson, who was in the fourth grade when his father disappeared, recalled the moment he realized something was wrong. “Sunday came, I never got a call, Monday I never got a call, and then eventually no one ever told me he was missing until one day I went into the gas station and saw his picture plastered on the wall of the Chevron,” he said.

The family claims Yarbrough was taken at gunpoint outside the AutoZone. “Apparently a guy who you know he was cool with followed him to that AutoZone and apparently someone was in the backseat with the guy, got out the car and got in the car with my dad at gunpoint you know to the back. They pulled out and they left from there and I guess that was the end,” Henderson said.

Henderson described a chilling phone call his family received. “They called my dad several times, didn’t answer, after they called him the fourth or fifth time he finally answered and someone took the phone and said they were going to cut his genitals off and hang them on top of the rearview mirror,” he said.

Yarbrough’s car was found the next day at his apartment complex, but not by police. “They found his car 24 hours later, my family did. The police didn’t because Birmingham Police Department at the time didn’t do anything, they didn’t take his case seriously because of his prior history or whatever I guess,” Henderson said.

The mystery continues to weigh heavily on Henderson. “Sometimes I can’t sleep because I’m literally thinking what could have happened, where are you, who did this, why would they do this?” he said.

Birmingham police confirmed that Yarbrough’s family met with the Special Victims Unit Tuesday, but said there is no update to share. Henderson remains hopeful. “His past is what they kept on bringing up, but I am really really confident in the detective yesterday,” he said.

The family is urging anyone with information to come forward. Henderson believes his father is dead but continues to search for closure and justice.

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