In the early morning hours of June 19, 2020, the life of 43-year-old Oliver Andrew Finley was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire in Wilkinsburg, a borough just east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Finley, a Black male, was one of three victims in a triple homicide that shattered the quiet of the neighborhood. The other victims were identified as 51-year-old Harold E. Hicks of Pittsburgh and 43-year-old Tara Alice Joseph of Pitcairn.
The violence erupted around 1:29 a.m.
when a Wilkinsburg police officer on patrol heard gunshots in the vicinity of Coal Street. Simultaneously, calls began flooding into Allegheny County 911 to report the shooting. When first responders arrived at the scene near the intersection of Coal and Maple streets, they discovered the bodies of Hicks and Joseph. A short distance away, in the nearby Hunter Park, authorities found Finley at what was described as a secondary shooting scene. All three victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, investigators began to piece together the events of that fatal morning. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a suspect, described as a Black male wearing a light blue shirt and khaki pants, fleeing the area. He was seen getting into a royal blue Pontiac G6 and speeding away from the scene of the crime. Allegheny County Police took the lead in the investigation, appealing to the public for any information that could help identify the person or persons responsible for this senseless act of violence.
Despite the initial leads and the public's call for assistance, the investigation into the murders of Oliver Finley, Harold Hicks, and Tara Joseph has been a challenging one. As of early 2021, investigators were still actively searching for the shooter or shooters involved in the triple homicide. There have been no subsequent public announcements regarding any arrests, charges, or convictions in the case, leaving a painful void for the families of the victims and the community. The motive for the shooting has also not been publicly disclosed, leaving many questions unanswered about the violent end to three lives on that summer night.
