On the evening of December 15, 2016, Noel Esbri, a 32-year-old male, was inside an apartment at 360 Palisades Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut, when tragedy struck. A 911 call was placed around 6:43 p.m. by a friend who reported that Esbri had been shot. When police and medics arrived at the scene, they found Esbri had already succumbed to a single gunshot wound to his upper body. His death marked the ninth homicide in Bridgeport that year.
Esbri, who was born on Christmas Day, was remembered by friends and family as a gifted musician and rapper with dreams of making it big, as well as a talented athlete in his high school years.
Bridgeport police detectives quickly began an investigation into the shooting. They soon identified 25-year-old Richard Lopez as the person responsible for Esbri's death. The investigation suggested that the fatal encounter was the result of a drug deal that turned into a robbery. According to police, witnesses stated that Lopez had gone to the apartment with another man with the intention of buying cocaine from Esbri. At some point during the interaction, Lopez allegedly pulled out a gun and demanded the drugs. A struggle over the weapon ensued between Lopez and Esbri, during which the gun was fired, fatally wounding Esbri. After the shot, Lopez reportedly yelled to his companion to flee, and both men ran from the apartment.
Following the investigation, a warrant for Richard Lopez's arrest was issued in early January 2017, charging him with murder, felony murder, and first-degree robbery. Initially, Lopez, through his attorney, refused to surrender to the authorities. However, later that month, members of the U.S. Marshal Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force located Lopez at a different apartment on Maplewood Avenue where he was staying with his girlfriend. He was taken into custody without incident. In addition to the initial charges, he also faced charges for carrying a pistol without a permit and criminal possession of a firearm. His bond was set at $750,000.
The legal proceedings that followed took a surprising turn. During the trial, the state's case against Richard Lopez faltered when a key witness refused to testify. The defense argued that the evidence pointed to two other men being responsible for Esbri's death, not Lopez. In June 2022, after deliberating, the jury found Richard Lopez not guilty on all charges, including murder, felony murder, and robbery. After being in custody since his arrest in January 2017, Lopez was acquitted.
