Who killed 16 year old Kenneth Wilson in 1995? On a late summer evening in Portland, Oregon, the sounds of a party at the Best Western Hotel near the intersection of North Weidler and Williams Avenue were shattered by gunfire. It was September 10, 1995, and for 16-year-old Kenneth Wilson, an African-American male, it would be his last night. Just before midnight, at approximately 11:50 p.m., Wilson was in the hotel's adjacent parking lot with a friend.
An argument had broken out between them and two other unidentified African-American men.
The situation escalated quickly and tragically. As Wilson sat in the backseat of his friend's car, one of the men they had been arguing with opened fire on the vehicle. A bullet struck Wilson, inflicting a fatal wound. In a desperate attempt to save his friend's life, the driver sped to a nearby hospital. Despite the swift action, Kenneth Wilson succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
In the aftermath, police gathered witness statements and were able to piece together a description of the shooter. He was described as an African-American man, approximately 18 to 19 years old, with a very light complexion. He stood about 5 feet 9 inches tall with a slender build and had short black hair. Authorities also noted that Wilson was a known member of the Crips gang.
Decades have passed since that fatal night, but the case of Kenneth Wilson's murder remains unsolved. No arrests have ever been made, and the identity of the two men who were in the parking lot, including the man who pulled the trigger, is still unknown. The Portland Police Bureau's Cold Case Homicide Unit continues to seek information from the public, hoping that someone will come forward with the key piece of evidence that will finally bring justice for the teenage boy whose life was cut short. Crime Stoppers of Oregon offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest in this and other unsolved felony crimes.
