Amber Jeanette Long was a creative and joyful young woman with a passion for sustainable design who was building her dream life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born on December 23, 1987, in Williamsport, Amber, 26, was a Caucasian female remembered for her zest for life, her constant smile, and her famous hugs. An honor student throughout her school years, she was also a talented gymnast, winning a state championship at age 17. She graduated from Philadelphia University in 2011 with a degree in architecture and embraced her adopted city, working for the firm U.S. Construction Inc. and later Nest Architecture. Amber was an artist, an avid environmentalist who aspired to design a self-sufficient house, and a member of a Tuesday night 9-ball league. Her mother, Stephanie Long, described her as her best friend and "the sunshine girl."
On the night of Sunday, January 19, 2014, Amber and her mother had enjoyed a gala at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Afterward, around 10:30 p.m., they were walking to Amber’s car, parked on a desolate stretch of the 900 block of North Front Street in the Northern Liberties neighborhood. As they walked, laughing and talking, two men in hoodies approached them from behind. One man quickly snatched Stephanie’s purse, while the second assailant struggled with Amber for hers—a $14 second-hand purse they had bought together earlier that day. During the brief struggle, the man pulled out a .22-caliber pistol and shot Amber once at point-blank range in the chest. The two men then fled, jumping into a waiting dark-colored sedan, possibly a Chevy Impala, which sped away.
Philadelphia Police officers responded to the scene at 10:37 p.m. and found Amber suffering from a gunshot wound. They rushed her to Hahnemann University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at approximately 11:15 p.m. Her mother was by her side as she died. The shocking randomness of the crime sent a wave of fear and grief through the city. Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit Captain James Clark later described the surveillance footage of the attack as "one of the saddest videos I've seen," showing Amber collapsing into her mother's arms.
The investigation, led by the Philadelphia Police Department's Homicide Unit, began immediately. Detectives recovered more surveillance video than in any previous case in the city's history, but the footage of the suspects showed them only from behind, and the images of the getaway car were too blurry to read the license plate. Early in the investigation, tips led police to question two men, but they were soon released, and the tipster was charged with falsifying reports. Investigators recovered Stephanie's discarded purse nearby and collected a small DNA sample from the scene, but it has not yielded a match. Ballistics tests on the casing found at the scene have also failed to identify the murder weapon. In a novel approach, detectives worked with the FBI to analyze hundreds of thousands of cell phone records from towers near the crime scene and where the purse was found, but this too has not yet produced a breakthrough.
In the years since her death, Amber's family and community have worked to keep her memory alive. Her alma mater, now known as Thomas Jefferson University, established the Amber Long Endowed Scholarship to support architecture students passionate about sustainable design. Her mother, Stephanie, has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the fund, sometimes by selling Amber’s paintings. Friends and family planted 1,000 daffodil bulbs on the university campus in her honor. Stephanie Long has remained in contact with detectives, sending them calendars each year featuring Amber's artwork as a reminder that her daughter's case is not forgotten.
As of January 2019, the murder of Amber Long remains unsolved. Detectives with the Philadelphia Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit continue to work the case, holding out hope that someone with information will come forward. "We know somebody knows who did this," Captain James Clark has stated. "We just need them to call our unit and give us the information." A reward of at least $20,000 offered by the city still stands for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Philadelphia Police Department's anonymous tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
