In the early morning hours of May 30, 2009, a grim discovery was made in Denver's Whittier neighborhood. The body of 28-year-old Ivory Mefford, a male, was found lying on the sidewalk in the 1600 block of East 31st Avenue. He was discovered at approximately 5:30 a.m. near a bus stop bench and was pronounced deceased at the scene from an apparent gunshot wound to his upper body.
Investigations into Mefford's death revealed that he was likely walking to his girlfriend's house at the time
of the shooting. Law enforcement was able to account for his whereabouts until about 2 a.m. that morning, but the hours leading up to his death remain a mystery. Despite numerous interviews and an ongoing investigation, the Denver Police Department has been unable to identify any suspects, and the case has since gone cold. Very little evidence was recovered from the scene, leaving detectives with few leads to follow.
Over the years, Ivory Mefford's case has remained open, with his family, particularly his mother, Patricia Rush, making heartfelt pleas to the public for any information that might lead to a break in the case. The community and Mefford's family have worked to keep his memory alive and the search for his killer active. To encourage individuals to come forward, the reward for information leading to an arrest has been significantly increased, thanks in part to a substantial anonymous donation to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers. Despite these efforts and the passage of time, no arrests have been made, and the person or persons responsible for Ivory Mefford's death have not been brought to justice.
