In the early morning hours of Friday, August 21, 2015, a silver Jeep SUV sat idling on the quiet block of Collings and South Constitution roads in the Fairview section of Camden, New Jersey. For hours, residents and passersby noticed the vehicle, assuming the occupants were merely waiting for someone. However, a grim discovery was made when a motorist called 911 around 7:36 a.m. to report two gunshot victims inside the car.
Responding Camden County Police officers found twin brothers, Markice and Maurice Harper, both 26-year-old males, deceased in the vehicle.
It was determined that the brothers had been shot multiple times and were pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe the fatal shootings occurred several hours before their bodies were discovered. The news of the twin brothers' violent deaths sent a shockwave through their community. Friends and family remembered Markice, a 2007 graduate of Camden High School, and his brother as being virtually indistinguishable. They were often seen playing basketball with children in the neighborhood.
In the immediate aftermath of the murders, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office and the Camden County Police Department launched an investigation, seeking a motive for the killings. Authorities appealed to the public for any information that could lead to the identification and apprehension of any suspect or suspects involved in the deaths of Markice and Maurice Harper. As of the initial reports, no arrests had been made in connection with the double homicide. The investigation into who was responsible for the deaths of the twin brothers remained ongoing.
