On a cold evening in Catonsville, Maryland, Idrissa Derme, a 46-year-old food delivery driver, was in the midst of his work, unaware that his life was about to be tragically cut short. Originally from the West African nation of Burkina Faso, Mr. Derme had been living in the United States for only two years, diligently working to support his family back home by sending them the majority of his earnings.
On the night of October 15, 2018, at approximately 8 p.m., Mr.
Derme was making a delivery for Pat's Pizza & Pasta in the 900 block of Vanderwood Road. After mistakenly approaching the wrong house, he returned to his running vehicle, a black 2008 Honda Accord. It was at this moment that he was confronted by at least one individual who was in the process of stealing his car. During a brief struggle, Mr. Derme was shot at least once in the upper body. A passerby later discovered him lying unconscious in the street, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. His vehicle had been stolen by his assailant or assailants.
Investigators with the Baltimore County Police Department believe the motive for the killing was a robbery and that it was likely a crime of opportunity rather than a premeditated carjacking. The case has remained a cold case for several years, with police periodically renewing their calls for public assistance. A reward of up to $2,000 was offered by Metro Crime Stoppers for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case. Mr. Derme's stolen Honda Accord was eventually recovered years later in an alleyway in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore City. While physical evidence was limited due to the brief nature of the interaction, investigators did recover an item left behind by the offender that likely contains DNA. As of late 2025, forensic technology was still being utilized in the hopes of developing a useful profile from that evidence. To date, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified in the murder of Idrissa Derme, a man described as a peaceful and hardworking individual.
