In the early hours of a spring day in New Haven, Connecticut, the quiet of the East Rock neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire. It was on April 7, 2016, that 22-year-old Robert Richardson, a Black male, was found lying on the sidewalk of May Street. Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene at approximately 1:13 a.m. after a report of a man down.
They discovered Richardson with a single, devastating gunshot wound to the back of his head.
He was rushed to Yale-New Haven Hospital, but his injuries were too severe. A short time later, at 1:50 a.m., Robert Richardson was pronounced dead, becoming the city's third homicide victim of the year. In the immediate aftermath, police cordoned off May Street for hours as detectives from the major crimes and forensic divisions meticulously worked the scene, searching for evidence and speaking with residents of the typically peaceful area.
Neighbors were startled by the violence that had erupted on their doorstep. One woman, a long-time resident, recalled being woken by the gunshots and peering out her window to see the flashing lights of emergency vehicles. The investigation in its initial stages yielded few leads. Police were told that an SUV was seen leaving the area with its headlights off around the time of the shooting, but no description of the shooter or shooters was immediately available.
As days turned into weeks and then years, the case grew cold. Despite appeals to the public for information, no arrests have been announced in connection with the murder of Robert Richardson. His death left a void in the lives of his family and friends, and the question of who was responsible and why remains unanswered, joining the list of the city's unsolved homicides. The investigation into who took the life of the young man who had graduated from James Hillhouse High School remains open, a painful and unresolved chapter for his loved ones and the community.
