In the early morning hours of June 7, 2022, the body of 56-year-old Stephan Bates, a Black male, was discovered on a sidewalk in the 500 block of Noble Street in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Authorities believe he had been shot late the previous night, June 6. An autopsy later confirmed that Stephan Bates died from multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was officially ruled a homicide.
The investigation into the death of Mr. Bates began after Norristown Police were dispatched to the area around 6 a.m. and found him deceased. It was reported that a call about a single shot fired had come in around 11 p.m. the night before, but the initial response did not locate a victim. This delay in discovering Mr. Bates became a point of concern and was addressed as part of the subsequent investigation. The scene of the discovery was cordoned off for several hours as detectives collected evidence, including bullet casings. In the days that followed, a memorial of balloons and flowers appeared at the location where his body was found.
A joint investigation was launched by the Norristown Police Department and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau. Authorities publicly asked for anyone with information regarding the shooting to come forward and provided contact numbers for the police and the detective bureau. Despite the ongoing investigation and the public appeal for information, there have been no reports of any arrests made or suspects identified in connection with the homicide of Stephan Bates. The case remains an open investigation as his community awaits answers.
