In the pre-dawn hours of August 18, 2012, a 19-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, 40-year-old Moses Walker Jr., was making his way home after a long overnight shift. Having just changed out of his uniform and into civilian clothes, he was walking to a bus stop near the intersection of North 20th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue. Tragically, he was being stalked by two men who saw him as an easy target, possibly a Temple University student, due to his athletic attire and
headphones.
The two assailants, later identified as Rafael Jones and Chancier McFarland, confronted Walker in an attempt to rob him. As a seasoned police officer, Walker instinctively drew his weapon to defend himself. In the ensuing struggle, he was shot multiple times in the chest, stomach, and arm. The entire brutal encounter was captured on surveillance footage. The perpetrators fled the scene, leaving the dedicated officer to die on the street.
The investigation into the murder of Officer Walker moved swiftly. Within days, both suspects were identified. Rafael Jones was apprehended in Philadelphia. His accomplice, Chancier McFarland, fled to Alabama but surrendered to federal agents there and was extradited back to Philadelphia. Both men were charged with murder, robbery, and conspiracy. The city of Philadelphia later determined that Officer Walker had died in the line of duty, a finding that provided his family with service-connected death benefits.
The legal process brought a measure of justice for the senseless killing. Chancier McFarland pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and agreed to testify against Rafael Jones in exchange for a sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison. In a bench trial, Rafael Jones was found guilty of murder. He subsequently received a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the emotional sentencing hearing, Walker's mother spoke of the devastating impact of her son's death on their family.
