Do you know who killed Terrence Andre Norris in 1999? In the pre-dawn hours of October 13, 1999, the quiet of a North Portland neighborhood was broken by the sound of gunfire. Worried residents in the 6200 block of N. Kerby Avenue called 911 around 4 a.m. to report the shots. When Portland Police Officers arrived, they discovered a white Mazda 323 parked at the curb. A closer look revealed a tragic scene inside.
The passenger door of the vehicle was left open, and in the driver's seat, still secured by the shoulder and lap belt, was the
body of 28-year-old Terrence Andre Norris, an African-American male. The driver's side window was shattered, a clear sign of the violence that had just occurred. Homicide detectives were called to the scene and began the painstaking process of piecing together what happened. Norris was dressed in a red hat, a dark blue coat, light blue sweatpants, and tennis shoes.
An autopsy later confirmed that Terrence Norris died from multiple gunshot wounds. The investigation determined that the shots were most likely fired from the passenger seat area of the car, suggesting the shooter had been inside the vehicle with him. Despite the evidence gathered at the scene and the appeals for witnesses to come forward, the case grew cold. To this day, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified in the murder of Terrence Norris. The case remains an unsolved homicide, a painful lingering question for his family and the community.
