In the early morning hours of November 5, 2009, the body of 23-year-old Jonte Slater was discovered in an abandoned rowhouse in Philadelphia's Brewerytown neighborhood. He was found in a first-floor hallway on the 1200 block of North Hollywood Street, having been shot multiple times in the neck and back. Slater, who was from the Frankford section of the city, was pronounced dead at the scene.
At the time of the discovery, police had not identified any suspects or a motive for the killing, and his murder remains unsolved.
Jonte Slater's death was part of a larger, more complex story of violence and questionable justice. About a year before his own unsolved murder, Slater had been released from jail where he was held on charges for the June 22, 2008, murder of Nathaniel Crawford in West Philadelphia. Slater, along with another man named Tyree Musier, was arrested for Crawford's death. Police had identified Musier as the shooter and Slater as the getaway driver.
While in jail, Slater reportedly orchestrated a plan to have a witness paid to change her testimony and identify Tyree Musier as the sole person responsible for Crawford's death. This plan was apparently successful, as the charges against Slater were dismissed, and he was set free. Consequently, Tyree Musier was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Slater was killed approximately a year after his release.
Years later, the conviction of Tyree Musier would be called into question. Evidence, including recorded phone calls from jail where Slater discussed paying witnesses, came to light. This new evidence suggested that Musier may have been wrongfully convicted. In August 2025, a judge overturned Musier's murder conviction, citing the unreliability of the original trial. Witnesses, including Slater's own father, came forward to state their belief that Jonte Slater was the actual killer of Nathaniel Crawford.
