In the early morning hours of October 3, 2004, a sense of unease settled over the corner of North Michigan and North Skidmore Streets in Portland, Oregon. The quiet of the night was shattered at 12:45 a.m. by the sound of gunfire, prompting calls to the police. When officers arrived, they discovered a tragic scene. Inside a car, slumped in the driver's seat, was 19-year-old Jacquelene Shelavria Marcell, an African-American female, suffering from a gunshot wound.
Though she was still alive when found, her life was slipping away.
Paramedics rushed Jacquelene to a local hospital, but the single gunshot wound proved to be fatal, and she died from her injuries. The initial investigation into her death provided a few crucial, yet frustratingly vague, leads. Witnesses in the area reported seeing four young African-American males fleeing the scene shortly after the shots were fired. They were described as being in their teens, all wearing dark clothing and hooded sweatshirts. One detail stood out: one of the young men was wearing an orange shirt. In a puzzling turn of events, these same individuals were reportedly seen returning to the area a short time later, using a flashlight to search for something on the ground before disappearing again into the night.
Despite the witness accounts, the investigation into Jacquelene's murder grew cold. No arrests have ever been made, and the four individuals seen running from the scene have never been identified. Her case remains an open and unsolved homicide, a painful chapter for her family and the Portland community. The police continue to seek information from the public, hoping that someone will come forward with the key piece of evidence that will finally bring justice for Jacquelene Shelavria Marcell. A cash reward is available for information that leads to an arrest, a standing offer in the long-standing effort to close this case.
