In the early morning hours of August 11, 2011, a single-car crash in Denver, Colorado, at the intersection of 8th Avenue and Decatur Street initially appeared to be a tragic accident. Responding officers discovered 24-year-old Manuel Amaro-Rojas deceased in the driver's seat of his green 1998 Hyundai Elantra, which had gone through a fence. However, the subsequent investigation by the Denver coroner's office would reveal a more sinister truth behind the young man's death. The initial assessment of a fatal car accident was quickly reclassified as a homicide.
Upon closer examination, it was determined that Manuel Amaro-Rojas had sustained gunshot wounds to his right arm and chest. He had been shot just moments after leaving his job as a custodian in downtown Denver, and the gunshot injuries were the cause of his death, not the crash itself. Police believe the shooting occurred around 2:20 a.m. as he was driving home. Investigators also considered the possibility that Amaro-Rojas may have been the target of an attempted robbery a few blocks away from the crash site, near West 8th Avenue and Zuni Street.
Despite the efforts of the Denver Police Department, the case grew cold over the years. No suspects were ever publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Manuel Amaro-Rojas. The investigation remains open, and authorities have periodically asked for the public's assistance, hoping that new information might emerge to bring closure to the family of the young man whose life was cut short on his way home from work. A reward was offered for any information that could lead to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for his death.
