On a Tuesday morning in Portsmouth, Virginia, the life of 38-year-old Marvin Lamar Hatcher was tragically cut short. On September 24, 2024, at approximately 10:20 a.m., police responded to a call of a shooting in the 300 block of Gilmerton Avenue. Upon their arrival, they discovered Hatcher suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. Despite the efforts of emergency responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting death of Hatcher, known to his
family as 'Ace,' quickly focused on a suspect. Portsmouth Police identified 65-year-old Tony Anthony McKeithan, also known as 'Tiger' or 'Tony the Tiger,' as the man they believed to be responsible for Hatcher's death. McKeithan was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, malicious shooting, discharge of a firearm in public, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Considered armed and dangerous, a search for McKeithan was initiated.
McKeithan was located and arrested in early October 2024 and held without bail. However, in a turn of events that brought further anguish to Hatcher's grieving family, the charges against McKeithan were later dropped. The Portsmouth Commonwealth's Attorney's office explained that a key witness in the case could not be located, and without their testimony, the evidence was insufficient to proceed with the prosecution. A year after his death, Hatcher's family continues to seek justice, pleading for anyone with information to come forward in the hope that the case can be brought back to court.
