In the crisp autumn air of October 6, 1979, the sound of gunshots shattered the evening quiet in the 1800 block of Clarkson Street in Denver, Colorado. Alarmed neighbors promptly alerted the police, who arrived to a grim discovery. Inside his vehicle sat 54-year-old Fred L. Rease, a Black male, who had been fatally shot. The life of a man known in his community as both a business owner and a dedicated public servant had been violently cut short.
Fred L.
Rease was a man of industry and community ties. He was the proprietor of a liquor store in Downtown Denver, a business that likely made him a familiar face to many in the city. In addition to his entrepreneurial venture, he was also a committed employee of the United States Post Office. His dual roles painted a picture of a hardworking individual deeply embedded in the daily life of Denver. His sudden and violent death sent ripples of shock and concern through the community he served.
In the immediate aftermath of the discovery, the Denver Police Department launched an investigation into the homicide. Detectives canvassed the neighborhood, seeking any information that might lead to a break in the case. However, the initial investigation and the subsequent inquiries over the years have yet to yield a suspect. No arrests have ever been made in connection with the murder of Fred L. Rease.
Decades have passed since that tragic night, and the case has grown cold. The circumstances surrounding his death remain an unsolved mystery, a lingering question in the city's history. The Denver Police Department continues to classify the death of Fred L. Rease as an open cold case, a silent testament to a life taken too soon and a plea for any information that might one day bring closure to a long-unanswered question of who was responsible.
