In the autumn of 1983, a young man named Michael Ray, a 20-year-old white male, was working as a valet at Bobby Magee's nightclub near East Hampden Avenue and South Havana in Denver. His life was cut tragically short on November 7th of that year. After finishing his shift, Michael returned to his apartment complex in the 10100 block of East Harvard Avenue, where he was found shot to death.
The circumstances surrounding his murder remain shrouded in mystery.
The tragedy deepened when Michael's co-worker, Randy Russom, was also discovered deceased. Randy was found in his car on the 7300 block of East Eastman Avenue, also a victim of a fatal shooting. The connection between the two murders seemed undeniable, pointing to a shared and violent end to their evening after leaving their workplace. The motive behind the killings and the sequence of events that led to both men losing their lives have never been officially determined.
The Denver Police Department investigated the double homicide, but the case grew cold over the years. No arrests were ever made, and no suspects have been publicly identified in connection with the murders of Michael Ray and Randy Russom. The case remains an open and unsolved homicide, a painful piece of Denver's history, leaving the family and friends of the two young men without answers or justice for their loved ones. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the Denver Police Department.
