On Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017, the life of 29-year-old Caucasian male, Trent Stutheit, was tragically cut short in Omaha, Nebraska. Just after 8 p.m., police were called to the area of 26th and Hamilton streets where they discovered Stutheit on the ground in a parking lot, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to Creighton University Medical Center, but he succumbed to his injuries.
The neighborhood, described by residents as typically quiet and located near a senior living facility, was left in shock by the sudden violence.
In the initial stages of the investigation, the Omaha Police Department had no suspects in custody and could not provide a description of who might be responsible. This left the family and friends of Stutheit grappling for answers. Those who knew him described a man with a "heart of pure gold," who marched to the beat of his own drum. He was a creative and deep thinker with a love for the arts, music, drawing, and writing. An alumnus of The Creative Center in Omaha where he earned a bachelor's degree, he was also an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hiking in the Colorado mountains, off-roading, and rock climbing.
A month and a half after the fatal shooting, a break in the case brought a sense of relief to Stutheit's grieving family. Authorities located and arrested a suspect, Antoine Johnson, in Denver, Colorado. Johnson was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and the use of a weapon to commit a felony in connection with Trent Stutheit's death. The arrest offered a glimmer of hope for justice for a man remembered as a loving father to his young daughter, Annella Pearl, and a cherished son, brother, and friend.
