Jeffrey David Bellemare, a 59-year-old White male, was working an overnight shift as a uniformed security guard at the Graybriar Apartments in Phoenix, Arizona, when he was fatally shot in the early morning hours of November 29, 2013. Shortly after spending Thanksgiving Day with his family and leaving his home in the northwest Valley for work, he arrived at the complex near 51st Avenue and Indian School Road, where he patrolled the grounds—often on a bicycle—to deter crime and keep
residents safe. At around 1:30 a.m., residents in the Maryvale neighborhood reported hearing gunfire, and Bellemare was found suffering from gunshot wounds on the property at 3810 North Maryvale Parkway. First responders were unable to save him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Bellemare had deep family ties and a long personal history that stretched from his birth in 1954 in Southington, Connecticut, to years spent in California and later life in Arizona. Loved ones recalled that he left their Thanksgiving gathering in Surprise, Arizona, dressed in his security uniform and heading out to the job he had held at the Graybriar complex for roughly a year, a position he took seriously as a provider and protector. Accounts from that night describe him performing his usual rounds when he was ambushed and shot in the torso, collapsing on the property before help could arrive. News coverage and family interviews emphasize that he was a father and a steady presence in the community, making the sudden, violent nature of his death especially devastating for those who knew him.
Witnesses reported hearing a disturbance between a man and a woman shortly before the gunfire, followed by the sight of two people running away from the scene. These individuals were seen leaving the apartment complex and getting into an older model sedan with a vinyl top, a car believed to have possible front-end damage from a prior incident. Composite sketches of the man and woman were produced and released by Phoenix police and Silent Witness in hopes that someone would recognize them. Over time, investigators and crime-stoppers programs have repeatedly circulated these sketches and the description of the getaway vehicle, stressing that the pair are wanted for questioning in connection with the killing. Despite these efforts, the individuals captured in the sketches have not been publicly identified.
Law enforcement and community partners have offered monetary rewards to encourage tips, with Silent Witness and local media publicizing cash rewards ranging from around $1,000 up to several thousand dollars for information leading to an arrest or indictment in the case. Phoenix police have periodically renewed public appeals—on anniversaries of the crime and through local television segments—urging anyone who may recall the suspicious couple, their car, or activity around the Graybriar Apartments that night to come forward. As of the most recent updates, case summaries and cold-case features describe the investigation as ongoing but unresolved, and note that there have been no arrests or publicly named suspects in connection with Bellemare’s murder.
Bellemare’s family has continued to speak out over the years, appealing to the public’s conscience and emphasizing the human cost behind the still-unsolved crime. His son, Kyle, has described his father as a fixture at the complex who took his role protecting residents seriously, and has voiced a belief that the shooting may have stemmed from someone harboring anger over a prior incident at the property, though investigators have not publicly confirmed a specific motive. Media coverage, including television features, online articles, and a dedicated true-crime podcast episode, has kept attention on the case even a decade later, underscoring that those responsible remain at large. For now, the killing of Jeffrey David Bellemare stands as an open homicide investigation, with authorities and family members still seeking the crucial information that could identify the suspects and bring the case to a conclusion.
