It has been half a decade since a Hayward High School 11th grader was shot and killed, but authorities still don’t have an answer for the family.
On Jan. 23, 2007, Lamar Murphy had been riding his bike home from a neighborhood store when the 16-year-old was fatally shot several times at the corner of Princeton Street and Smalley Avenue. Upon the arrival of the police and first responders, Murphy was declared dead at the scene, reported CBS Bay Area.
According to investigators, a Hispanic man in his teens or twenties accosted Murphy while standing next to a Silver Ford Explorer. Soon after the confrontation, Murphy was shot. However, authorities have exhausted every lead over the years, making the case cold.
The motive for the killing remains unclear.
As a result, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $50,000 reward for information that would lead to an arrest of the victim’s killer in October 2022. In addition, Murphy’s family has also offered a $10,000 reward.
"I'm mad because it happened to my only child. I'm mad because we don't know who did it and they haven't found him yet. I'm sad because I don't have him in my life anymore. We want justice. Whoever knows any information, they need to say something," said the victim’s mother Tonya Richards, according to KTVU.
Murphy played with the Hayward Earthquakes in the 2014 Bay Valley Gridiron youth football league as a defensive end. The league later became part of rapper Snoop Dogg’s “Snoop Youth Football League.”
If anyone has information that could help solve this cold case, please contact Detective Pat Smyth at 510-667-7538 or an anonymous tip line at (510)-667-3622.
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