Ricardo Orozco-Negrete, 49, a Hispanic/Latino man, was discovered dead in his South Minneapolis apartment late on New Year’s Day 2015, after officers were flagged down to conduct a welfare check on the 2900 block of Cedar Avenue South. He was found bound, and the scene immediately pointed detectives toward homicide; it was recorded as Minneapolis’ first killing of that year, and police asked the public for tips that might identify who was responsible.
Details from the early investigation described a grim tableau inside the residence. Orozco-Negrete had been bound and gagged, and authorities determined he died by asphyxiation, a method that left few immediate leads behind. The discovery around 11 p.m. prompted canvasses and appeals for information, but no clear suspect trail emerged from the apartment building or the surrounding Cedar Avenue corridor.
In the weeks and months that followed, the case remained open. Minneapolis police publicized a Crime Stoppers reward and renewed appeals for anyone who might have seen or heard something near the Cedar Avenue address that night. Despite those efforts, public records and news accounts do not reflect any arrests or the public identification of a suspect, and the homicide continues to be listed among the city’s unresolved cases.
