In the evening chill of a late November night in Philadelphia, tragedy befell a residence on the 2000 block of West Turner Street. On Wednesday, November 23, 2016, at approximately 9:49 p.m., the lives of two men were violently cut short in a fatal shooting. One of the victims was Norman Brown, a 45-year-old Black male who lived on the same block where the incident occurred.
Responding to a call, Philadelphia Police officers arrived at the scene to a grim discovery.
Inside the home, they found Norman Brown in the kitchen area, having sustained a gunshot wound to the head. Paramedics who arrived at the scene confirmed that he had succumbed to his injuries. Near the front door of the residence, another man, identified as 41-year-old Joseph Butler, was also found with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Butler was rushed to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that night.
The double homicide sent ripples of grief and fear through the community. The Philadelphia Police Department's Homicide Unit opened an investigation into the killings of Norman Brown and Joseph Butler. Despite their efforts, the case has remained unsolved, with no arrests made and no suspects publicly identified. The detectives investigating the case have urged anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward and contact the police. A substantial reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this case, a standing plea for justice for the two lives lost on that tragic night.
