RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The unsolved case of a Richmond murder victim has stumped investigators for nearly three years. The family is now offering a $2,000 cash reward for some answers.
Jeremiah Darden was shot and killed on the City’s southside in September 2020. His family members said he was just 25 years old at the time.
According to the Richmond Police Department, Darden was outside of the K Food Store on Midlothian Turnpike just after midnight on Sept. 11, 2020.
“He had sat out front for roughly two hours. He was dancing, singing. People in cars were honking at him,” said Detective James Higgins.
Darden then grabbed his belongings and began walking along East Blake Lane. That’s when someone opened fire and shot him several times.
Officers responded to the scene and found him lying in the road. Darden was taken to a local hospital where he later died.
“I was at work when I got the call and it was like, actually, someone had taken the life out of me,” said Jeremiah Darden’s father, Mustafa Darden. “‘Just always enjoy life’ is what he told me, and that was our last conversation.”
Detective Higgins said the lack of surveillance video in the area and no witnesses coming forward have been challenges for their investigation.
“It’s usually kind of tough, especially when certain other investigative avenues don’t turn up anything,” he said. “We don’t even have a motive at this point.”
Higgins also said they don’t have any information about the shooter, however, investigators believe it’s possible Darden knew who was responsible for his murder.
“The pain never goes away,” Mustafa Darden said. “Jeremiah, he had a personality that when he walked in the room, you’d know he was there. His personality just exuded wherever he went. He loved people, he loved animals and he loved his family.”
Darden’s family is now offering a cash reward of $2,000 for information that can lead to a conviction in the case. Mustafa Darden said he hopes this will lead to the break that investigators and loved ones have been waiting for.
“If this person is still walking around on Richmond city streets, actually, no one is safe,” he said. “No one’s family is safe. Richmond is not a safe place as long as these types of people are on our streets.”
Mustafa Darden said he hopes the person who murdered his son will come forward.
“I pray that you turn yourself in,” he said. “You will never have peace.”
