Do you know who murdered South Trimble? On the final night of 1974, a prominent Washington, D.C. lawyer's life was tragically cut short in what police believe was a robbery attempt. South Trimble Jr., a 78-year-old white male, was fatally shot in the chest on December 31, 1974. The incident occurred in the garage of his apartment building located in the 3000 block of Tilden Street in the Northwest quadrant of the city.
Earlier in the evening, Trimble and his wife had attended a New Year's Eve service at a local Catholic
church. Upon their return, Trimble dropped his wife off at the front of their building before proceeding to park their car in the basement garage. It was in this seemingly safe space that the fatal encounter took place. Shortly after her husband had gone to the garage, Mrs. Trimble heard a single gunshot. Rushing to investigate, she reportedly saw a man dressed in white fleeing from the apartment building.
Emergency services were called to the scene, and Trimble was rushed to a nearby hospital. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead upon arrival. The preliminary investigation suggested that the motive for the attack was robbery. However, the assailant had apparently fled without taking anything of value from Trimble or his vehicle. The description of the suspect provided by Mrs. Trimble, a man in white, was the only lead in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
Decades have passed since the murder of South Trimble Jr., and the case has grown cold. Despite the initial investigation and a standing reward of $25,000 offered by the Metropolitan Police Department for information leading to an arrest and conviction, no suspects have ever been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with the homicide. The case remains open but is not under active investigation. The search for answers and for the individual responsible for the senseless death of South Trimble Jr. continues, a lingering mystery from a New Year's Eve long past.
