Jamie LeVar Penn Sr. was the baby of the family, the youngest of eight siblings who affectionately called him “Poo.” To his sisters, he was a “gentle giant,” a big guy who was just a baby at heart. Remembered as vibrant, full of life, and a wonderful person who loved his family and the Lord, Jamie was a 23-year-old father to three children in the summer of 2005. He had his whole life ahead of him, a future of potential that his family would never get to see realized.
In the late hours of Tuesday, August 16, 2005, that future was stolen. Police were called to Thomas Avenue NW in Roanoke, Virginia, where they discovered Jamie inside his SUV. The vehicle was still running, but Jamie had been shot to death. Investigators with the Roanoke Police Department believe the person who fired the fatal shots had been sitting in the passenger seat next to him. In an instant, Jamie’s children were left fatherless, and his large, loving family was left with a void that remains two decades later.
The investigation into Jamie Penn’s homicide has remained open for over 20 years, but no arrests have ever been made. The case is now considered a cold case, but it has never been forgotten, least of all by Jamie’s family. His sisters, particularly Tracy, have remained in constant contact with law enforcement, calling weekly and setting up meetings to ask about new developments and ensure detectives are following up on any potential leads. They have been a constant, driving force in the push for justice.
For Jamie’s family, his murder was a devastating echo of a previous tragedy. Just seven years earlier, in 1998, their father, Jimmie Lee Penn, had also been killed by gun violence. Shattered by the dual losses, Jamie’s sisters Renea Penn-Taylor and Tracy Penn partnered with three other women who understood their grief to create a support system. That informal group, born from shared pain, grew into an organization called FEDUP with Gun Violence, which stands for Families Expecting Deliverance Using Prayer. The group provides financial, emotional, and spiritual support to other families in the Roanoke community affected by gun violence, working to pick up the pieces and offer hope.
On what would have been Jamie’s 43rd birthday in January 2025, his family and friends gathered at the spot on Thomas Avenue where his life was taken. They didn’t mourn with silence but instead held a celebration of his life, singing "Happy Birthday" to honor his memory and the love he shared. “He still is loved; even in his absence, he’s still very much loved,” his sister Deborah Penn-Robinson said. His sister Renea spoke of the ongoing pain, noting that Jamie’s children will have children who will never know their grandfather. “He could’ve been something great,” she said, “but somebody made the decision to stop that greatness, and now we will never know what he would’ve been.”
As of June 2026, Jamie Penn’s murder remains unsolved. The Roanoke Police Department continues to seek justice for his family and asks for the public’s help. Detectives believe someone has the information that could finally close this case. Anyone with information, no matter how small it may seem, is urged to contact the Roanoke Police Department at (540) 344-8500.
