On the evening of July 26, 2016, the life of 31-year-old Melvin Earl Rouse II, a Black/African American male, was cut short in Spokane, Washington. Reports of an erratic driver near Southeast Boulevard and Rockwood Boulevard on Spokane's South Hill prompted a police response around 10:00 p.m. Arriving officers discovered Rouse in his black Chevy sedan, which had veered onto a sidewalk and struck a tree. He was bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound.
It appeared he had been attempting to drive himself to the hospital. An ambulance rushed him to Sacred Heart Medical Center, but he succumbed to his injuries that same night.
Investigators traced the events leading to Rouse's death to a driveway on 29th Avenue, near Thor Street. Evidence, including bullet casings, suggested that Rouse had been shot while parked in his car at this location. After being wounded, he managed to drive a short distance before he was found. The Spokane County Medical Examiner later confirmed that Rouse had died from gunshot wounds to his back and chest. Neighbors in the vicinity of the shooting reported hearing multiple gunshots and the sound of a car door closing around the time of the incident.
The investigation into Melvin Rouse's murder led detectives to a prime suspect: his own cousin, Cedric "Dirty" Burton. Burton, a man with a documented history of violence and suspected gang affiliations, became the focus of the case. A police informant later came forward, alleging that Burton had confessed to the killing. According to the informant, Burton claimed he and Rouse had argued and "wrestled" before he opened fire. The informant quoted Burton as saying, "My cousin wouldn't give it up." Despite this information and Burton's extensive criminal record, which included convictions for assault and being a getaway driver in a fatal shooting, no arrests have been made, and no one has been formally charged in connection with Melvin Rouse's death. The case remains unresolved, leaving a family to mourn and a community to await justice.
