On a summer evening in Mount Vernon, New York, the life of 24-year-old Wilbert Francis was tragically cut short. On June 10, 2016, Francis was shot and killed near 125 South 2nd Avenue in a violent act that sent ripples of grief through his community. Remembered as a great dad who loved to dance and had a flair for dressing well, his sudden death left a void in the lives of those who knew him.
His mother, Nazarean Duncan, later revealed the brutal nature of his death, stating he had been shot 13 times.
In the wake of the shooting, the Mount Vernon Police Department, in conjunction with the FBI's Westchester County Safe Streets Gang Task Force, launched a homicide investigation. Despite their efforts, the case grew cold, joining a string of other unsolved murders that plagued the city. The lack of progress in her son's case, and others like it, spurred Nazarean Duncan to become a vocal advocate for justice. In February 2017, she participated in a rally on the steps of City Hall, expressing her frustration and pain. She spoke of a city that had become 'immune to death,' highlighting that her son's murder was one of at least six unsolved homicides in Mount Vernon from the previous year.
The investigation into Wilbert Francis's death remains open. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for any information that leads to an arrest in the case. His murder is part of a broader appeal by law enforcement for public assistance in solving several homicides that occurred in Mount Vernon between 2011 and 2016. To date, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. The case stands as a painful reminder of a life taken too soon and a family still waiting for answers and closure.
