On a summer afternoon in Denver, Colorado, concern for a local business owner led to a grim discovery. On July 9, 1981, members of the Denver Police Department arrived at the North Park Hill home of 55-year-old Clarence Harris to conduct a welfare check. Mr. Harris, a Black male who operated a janitorial business in the Denver Metro area, had not been heard from, prompting friends or family to worry.
Upon entering the residence, officers found a tragic scene.
Clarence Harris was deceased inside his home. He was not alone; his roommate, Valerie Murphy, was also found dead. The subsequent investigation by the coroner's office would reveal that both Mr. Harris and Ms. Murphy had died from gunshot wounds. Their deaths were officially ruled as homicides.
Decades have passed since the violent deaths of Clarence Harris and Valerie Murphy, but the case remains unsolved. There have been no arrests, and no suspects have been publicly identified in connection with the double homicide. The Denver Police Department's Cold Case Unit continues to seek information from the public that might lead to a breakthrough in the case and bring justice for the two victims whose lives were cut short that day in 1981.
