On the first day of the new year, a tragedy unfolded in Glendale, Arizona, forever altering the lives of those who knew and loved Jesse William Mitchell. In the early morning hours of January 1, 2020, the 41-year-old man was at a bus stop near the corner of 59th Avenue and Bethany Home Road. It was just after 5:30 a.m. when the stillness of the morning was shattered by the sound of a gunshot.
Police officers responded to a call regarding the shooting and arrived at the scene to find
Jesse William Mitchell with a fatal gunshot wound. Despite the immediate response, he succumbed to his injuries at the bus stop. The incident was quickly determined to be a homicide, and an investigation was launched to find the person responsible for this senseless act of violence.
In the days following the shooting, the Glendale Police Department released a description of a suspect they were searching for in connection with Mitchell's death. They described the individual as an African American man in his mid-thirties with a dark complexion. He was said to be between 6 feet and 6 feet 3 inches tall, with a heavyset build of approximately 300 pounds, and a short beard. At the time of the incident, he was reportedly wearing a dark blue hoodie and a black beanie.
Despite the public release of the suspect's description and appeals for information, the investigation into the death of Jesse William Mitchell has not resulted in any publicly announced arrests. The case, while not officially listed as a cold case on the Glendale Police Department's website, has faded from the public eye with no subsequent news reports or press releases detailing a resolution. For the family and friends of Jesse William Mitchell, the new year began with a devastating loss, and the quest for justice continues.
