On a Saturday morning, the quiet of a Henrico neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire. On December 9, 2023, at approximately 11:54 a.m., Henrico Police were called to the 2800 block of Fairfield Avenue for a report of a shooting. Inside a home, officers made a grim discovery; 25-year-old Damarius L. Odom was found deceased, having suffered from what appeared to be gunshot wounds.
The case was quickly determined to be a homicide, prompting a thorough investigation by multiple units within the police division.
Damarius Lafonte Odom, a native of Chesapeake, Virginia, was born on May 27, 1998. Known to his loved ones by a variety of nicknames including Marcy, Dee, and OD, he was described as a quiet and reserved person with a smile that could brighten anyone's day. He came from a close-knit family and was seen as a protector and a gentle giant by his siblings. A graduate of Hopewell High School, Damarius had furthered his education at St. Augustine College in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he majored in Business Management. At the time of his death, he was working as a truck driver and was pursuing his dream of acquiring his CDLA credentials. He had a passion for football, with the Minnesota Vikings being his favorite team.
The investigation into Odom's death led detectives to identify a suspect. A week after the shooting, on Saturday, December 16, 2023, an arrest was made in connection with the homicide. Reginald Robertson, a 20-year-old from Richmond, was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. While an arrest has been made, authorities have encouraged anyone with further information regarding the incident to contact the Homicide Detectives or Crime Stoppers.
