In the spring of 1992, the lives of two friends, Clarence Smith and James Austin, were tragically cut short in Denver, Colorado. Clarence Smith, a 43-year-old Black man, and his companion were known to be drinking buddies who often spent their time together, frequenting the area around East Colfax Avenue and Yosemite Street, a stretch of road marking the border between Denver and Aurora.
Their leisure time was often filled with games of chance and visits to the local dog track.
On May 23, 1992, the familiar rhythm of their lives came to a violent end. The bodies of both Smith and Austin were discovered in a starkly different setting from their usual haunts. They were found together, lying in the tall grass of an alley that ran between Franklin and Humboldt Streets, near East 25th Avenue. Both men had been shot to death behind a vacant house, their final moments shrouded in mystery. The discovery of their bodies marked the beginning of a double homicide investigation by the Denver Police Department.
Despite the passage of time, the case of Clarence Smith and James Austin has remained unsolved, taking its place among the city's cold cases. Investigators have publicly appealed for any information that might shed light on the events leading to the deaths of the two friends. To date, there have been no arrests made in connection with the murders, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The story of what happened to Clarence Smith and James Austin in that quiet alley remains an unanswered question, a somber chapter in the city's history.
