In the early evening of Friday, October 30, 2015, a sense of unease settled over the 1300 block of Morris Road in Southeast Washington, D.C. At approximately 6:07 p.m., the sound of gunfire shattered the autumn air, drawing the attention of residents and prompting calls to the Metropolitan Police Department. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a man lying unconscious and unresponsive, having sustained at least one gunshot wound.
The victim was identified as 36-year-old Joseph Kenneth Belle, a resident of Southeast D.C. Despite the immediate response from emergency medical personnel, his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead at the location where he was found. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later officially ruled his death a homicide.
In the days that followed, the Metropolitan Police Department issued a public appeal for assistance, urging anyone with information regarding the shooting to come forward.
Investigators from the Homicide Branch began the painstaking process of canvassing the neighborhood, speaking with potential witnesses, and searching for any evidence that might lead to the person or persons responsible for Mr. Belle's death.
Despite their efforts, information regarding a suspect or any arrests in the case has not been made publicly available in the years since the incident. The investigation into the death of Joseph Kenneth Belle remains open, leaving his family and community awaiting answers and the closure that a resolution to the case would bring. The circumstances surrounding the shooting and the motive behind it remain an unsolved chapter in the city's records of violent crime.
