Do you know who murdered Jonathan Cardoso? On a Tuesday evening in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, the life of 21-year-old Jonathan Cardoso, a Black / African American male, was tragically cut short. On September 20, 2016, at approximately 8:06 p.m., police responded to reports of a shooting near 55 Downer Avenue. Upon arrival, they found Cardoso suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The cause of his death was later determined to be a homicide by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Jonathan was the fourteenth person to be murdered in Dorchester that year. He was a beloved son and brother, leaving behind his mother, an older sister, and a younger sister who was a student at the Mather School. In the wake of his death, friends and family set up an online memorial fund to help with funeral expenses and to fly relatives in from Cape Verde for the services. The community mourned the loss of another young life to violence.
In the days following the shooting, the Boston Police Department's Youth Violence Strike Force increased their patrols in the area. About a week later, on September 29, officers arrested a 21-year-old Dorchester man, Pedro Daveiga, outside the same address where Cardoso was killed. Daveiga was found with a loaded 9mm handgun and faced charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. However, authorities stated that these charges were not directly connected to Jonathan Cardoso's murder.
The investigation into Cardoso's death continued. In December 2016, investigators sought the public's help in locating a blue Honda Accord from the model years 2003-2005, stating it was for "investigative purposes only" and that the occupants were not considered suspects at the time. Despite these efforts, no arrests have been made in connection with the homicide of Jonathan Cardoso. The case remains unsolved, and the Boston Police Department continues to encourage anyone with information to come forward.
