In the early morning hours of a summer day, Michael Hagan Jr., a 32-year-old White male, was found lying in the street in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. It was Sunday, July 1, 2012, at approximately 3:39 a.m. when police responded to a call on the 400 block of South 4th Street. Hagan had been shot once in the chest. He was rushed to Jefferson University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His wallet and keys were missing, leading police to believe the motive was robbery.
A graduate of Drexel University and a technical consultant, Hagan was described by his family as a 'gentle, kind, intelligent and compassionate person.' He had a passion for travel, music, and the outdoors, particularly snowboarding and soccer. He had moved to Philadelphia to attend college and fell in love with the city, eventually buying a home in the Fishtown neighborhood. On the night he was killed, Hagan had been out with friends at Morgan's Pier on Delaware Avenue. They left the club at around 1:30 a.m. and took a cab to the area of 4th and Market streets. He and at least one friend were walking south on 4th Street when an unknown man reportedly accosted Hagan.
A friend who was with Hagan was found unconscious near his body but had not been shot; investigators believed he was assaulted during the same incident. Despite a police investigation and the recovery of some surveillance video from the area, no clear footage of the attack or the attacker was found. A homeless man reported hearing loud voices and a gunshot, and a bicyclist was the one who discovered Hagan on the sidewalk.
In the years following the murder, Michael Hagan's case has remained unsolved. There have been no arrests made and no suspects have been publicly identified. His family has been relentless in their search for answers, putting up fliers and offering a reward that has grown to $50,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. The Philadelphia Police Department continues to ask for the public's help, hoping that someone will come forward with the information needed to bring justice for Michael Hagan and his family.
