Stephen Casey, a 23-year-old Black male from Philadelphia, was remembered by his family as “Sonny,” a young man they described as steady, hardworking, and not someone who lived in trouble. On Wednesday, September 26, 2012, he had just left his job at a nursing home when violence found him in West Philadelphia. Around 3:00 p.m., police were called to the area of St. Cyprian Church, near Cobbs Creek Parkway and Cedar Avenue, where Stephen was discovered inside a black Mercury Grand Marquis suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, but he died a short time later. The shooting also injured a second man, who was expected to survive. Stephen's family struggled to understand why he had been targeted at all. His grandmother and cousin described him as someone who had not caused problems, and his family believed he may not have been the intended victim. To them, the killing felt senseless, sudden, and out of character with the life Stephen had been trying to build.
In the months after the shooting, investigators were still trying to determine what happened and why. Stephen's relatives pleaded for anyone with information to come forward, saying that someone knew the truth but had not spoken. The case was publicized through a reward effort, with the Citizens Crime Commission administering a $1,000 reward and the City of Philadelphia offering up to $20,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Available online reporting did not identify any arrested suspect or suspects in Stephen Casey's killing. The reports also did not describe any filed charges, trial, conviction, or sentencing connected to the case. The public appeals for information indicate that, at the time of those reports, the investigation remained unresolved and the family was still waiting for answers.
