In the early morning hours of September 24, 2006, a party at the West Indian Social Club in Hartford, Connecticut, turned deadly. Shawn Matthews "Hoot" Dudley, a 19-year-old male, was on the dance floor when he was confronted by several other males. During the altercation, one of the men pulled out a handgun and shot Shawn once in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
For years, the case remained unsolved, leaving his family and the community searching for answers.
The investigation into Shawn's murder faced challenges, and the trail grew cold. In a novel approach to generate new leads, the Connecticut Department of Correction began distributing "cold case" playing cards to inmates throughout the state's prison system. Each card featured details of an unsolved homicide, and the 9 of diamonds was dedicated to Shawn Dudley's case. This unique strategy proved to be successful.
In February 2011, a tip received as a direct result of the playing cards led investigators to a suspect: Quan Morgan. At the time the tip came in, Morgan was already in custody on unrelated charges, including another murder. The information from the inmate provided the breakthrough authorities needed to move forward with the case that had been stagnant for over four years.
Following the new lead, Quan Morgan was arrested and charged with Shawn Dudley's murder. In October 2011, five years after the fatal shooting, Morgan was convicted of the crime. He pleaded guilty in Hartford Superior Court to one count of murder, finally bringing a measure of justice to Shawn Dudley's family.
