In the early morning hours of June 9, 2004, the quiet of a Biddeford, Maine neighborhood was broken by a grim discovery. A neighbor found the body of 26-year-old Rafael Rosado III lying mortally wounded in front of his own home on Guinea Road. He had been shot to death. A male, born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Rosado had moved to the New England town from Chelsea, Massachusetts about three years prior to his death and was working in the construction trade.
The news of the violent death of
the young man sent ripples of shock through the community. Described as a loving son and brother by his grieving family, which included his mother, stepfather, and siblings, his sudden and brutal killing was difficult to comprehend. Investigators immediately treated the case as a homicide, launching a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting. The Maine State Police took the lead on the case, making public appeals for any information that could lead to a break in the investigation.
Despite the efforts of law enforcement over the years, the case of Rafael Rosado's murder has grown cold. For two decades, investigators have pursued leads and kept the case open, but no suspects have ever been publicly named, and no arrests have been made in connection with the homicide. The Major Crimes Unit continues to express its commitment to solving cold cases like Rosado s, holding out hope that with the passage of time, someone with crucial information will come forward. For the family of Rafael Rosado, the passage of two decades has brought no answers and no justice, only the lingering pain of an unsolved loss.
