In the early morning hours of a late spring day, the East Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia became the backdrop for a tragedy that would leave a family searching for answers. On Thursday, May 29, 2014, 25-year-old Tyrek Connor, a Black male, was discovered in the back seat of a black Mercedes-Benz parked on the 500 block of East Armstrong Street. He had been shot once in the head. Philadelphia Police officers responded to the scene at 6:24 a.m., finding the car door partially open.
Paramedics arrived shortly after, but it was too late; Tyrek was pronounced dead at 6:48 a.m.
The initial investigation pointed towards robbery as a potential motive for this violent act. Supporting this theory, Tyrek’s empty wallet was found on the ground outside the vehicle. He was a father to a young daughter and was described by his family as a hardworking man with no criminal record. His loved ones were left to grapple with the senselessness of his death, struggling to understand who would want to harm a man they knew as a 'good kid.'
In the days leading up to his death, Tyrek had celebrated his mother's birthday with a family trip to Atlantic City where he had some success at the casinos. He had even posted on Instagram about his winnings and a new television he had purchased. This led his family to believe that he may have been targeted by someone who was aware of his recent good fortune. His mother expressed her heartbreaking belief that her son was set up by an acquaintance who saw him as an easy mark, noting that he was wearing bedroom slippers, suggesting he hadn't intended to be out for long.
Despite the family's suspicions and the initial belief that robbery was the motive, the case grew cold. To this day, the murder of Tyrek Connor remains unsolved. No suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with his shooting. The Philadelphia Police Department continues to list his case among its unsolved homicides, a lingering reminder of a life cut short and a family still waiting for justice.
