In the early morning hours of April 15, 2016, the quiet streets of Willingboro, New Jersey, were pierced by the sound of gunfire. Responding to these reports at approximately 3:15 a.m., police discovered the body of 31-year-old Colby Rodgers, a male resident of nearby Mount Laurel, inside a parked car on Woodhaven Lane. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office promptly classified his death as a homicide, initiating a lengthy investigation.
For years, the case remained unsolved, leaving a void of answers for the community and Rodgers' loved ones. Investigators from the Willingboro Township Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office pursued leads, but no immediate arrests were made. Public appeals for information were issued in the hopes that someone would come forward with the key to unlocking the circumstances of that fatal morning. The investigation delved into Rodgers' past, though no direct links to his murder were publicly established.
A significant breakthrough in the cold case finally came in March of 2025, nearly nine years after the shooting. Authorities announced they had charged 31-year-old Ronny Paden with the murder of Colby Rodgers. The two were reportedly acquaintances who had a falling out prior to the deadly encounter. At the time the murder charges were brought against him, Paden was already incarcerated in Bayside State Prison on unrelated matters. He was formally charged with first-degree murder and weapons offenses, bringing a long-awaited development in the quest for justice for Colby Rodgers. The case is now expected to be presented to a grand jury for a possible indictment.
