In the early morning hours of July 31, 2011, a 22-year-old African-American man named Richard King was found brutally stabbed to death in Boston. His body was discovered at approximately 4:40 a.m. at 25 Trotter Court, an area known for violence, where he had sustained multiple stab wounds and bled to death before help could arrive. To this day, the case remains unsolved, with no arrests made and no suspects publicly identified.
Earlier in the evening, Richard had been out with his cousin
at a club in the Theatre District. As the night wound down, the two began walking towards Richard's home in Dorchester. Part of the way there, his cousin hailed a cab, while Richard chose to continue his journey on foot. Why he ended up at Trotter Court, a place his mother believes he had no reason to be, remains a mystery. The area was known at the time for gang and drug activity, though Richard's mother stated he was not involved in gangs.
The nature of the attack, with its multiple stab wounds, led a Boston Police Homicide Detective to describe it as "personal" and not just a robbery. The investigation into his death has been ongoing for years, with his mother, Melinda Tharps, continuing to seek justice for her son. Tragically, the family would suffer another devastating loss four years later when Richard's younger brother, D'Andre King-Settles, was also murdered. The violent death of Richard King remains a cold case, leaving his loved ones with unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss.
