In the early morning hours of September 15, 2018, the life of David Lawrence Burwell, a 25-year-old Caucasian male, was tragically cut short in a downtown Salt Lake City parking garage. The events leading to his death began at a local bar called Wasted Space, where two groups of people were involved in a heated confrontation. After the initial altercation, both groups went their separate ways.
Burwell, along with his girlfriend and friends, made their way to the Exchange Place parking
garage at 55 E. Exchange Place. As they reached their vehicle on the lower level, they encountered the other group again. The situation quickly escalated when a man from the opposing group reportedly retrieved a handgun. In the ensuing moments, several shots were fired, and Burwell was struck in the torso. He succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle. Investigators later identified several individuals in connection with the incident. Police sought 30-year-old Francis Lee Ragsdale as a suspect and also wanted to question 38-year-old Thalwallkelah Lamar Washington. Law enforcement considered Ragsdale to be armed and dangerous.
In September 2022, four years after Burwell's death, criminal charges were filed against three men in connection with the killing. However, none of the individuals were charged with murder. The case had been considered an unsolved homicide for a period before these charges were brought forward.
