BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A 44-year-old man was found dead late Wednesday night inside a burning vehicle in southwest Birmingham, less than a year after his own son was killed in a similar and still-unsolved case.
The victim has been identified as Calvin Dewayne Ball of Bessemer, according to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.
Birmingham police and fire crews responded to the 4300 block of Eli Avenue around 11:45 p.m. following a report of a person down. Upon arrival, first responders discovered a vehicle fully engulfed in flames. Once the fire was extinguished, firefighters found Ball’s body inside the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at 11:53 p.m.
Birmingham Police Officer Derell Freeman confirmed the death is being investigated as a homicide, though few details have been released. An autopsy is scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.
Ball’s death adds a haunting chapter to an already devastating family tragedy. His 20-year-old son, Ja’Calvin Demond Ball, was one of two young men found dead inside a burning vehicle in Birmingham’s Airport Highlands neighborhood last October. That case, which also claimed the life of Antonio Kasey James, 20, of Pinson, remains unsolved. Both victims were burned beyond recognition and later identified through DNA and dental records.
The younger Ball and James were found on the morning of October 29, 2024, after firefighters responded to a report of smoke near the 1600 block of 90th Place North. No arrests have been made in that case.
Calvin Dewayne Ball is now the 31st homicide victim in Birmingham in 2025, according to police. Across Jefferson County, the total number of homicides this year has reached 46.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about Ball’s death or either case to contact Birmingham Homicide Detectives at 205-254-1764 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
This remains an active and developing investigation.