Crime Solvers Central
CSC
263 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.
Orris Smith death by force case profile photo

Orris Martin Smith

Case from Camden, NJ dated Sep 06, 1949

Victim Details

Orris Martin Smith

Male

White / Caucasian

Camden

NJ

1949-09-06

6

Orris

Martin Smith

06/25/2026

Case Description

Any updates on this case? Let us know!
On a day that should have been filled with the innocent anticipation of the first day of first grade, six-year-old Orris Martin Smith sat in a barber's chair in his Camden, New Jersey neighborhood. It was September 6, 1949, a date that would be forever etched in the city's history as a day of unimaginable tragedy. While barber Clark Hoover was giving the young boy a haircut, a local World War II veteran named Howard Unruh walked into the shop. In a shocking act of violence that was part of a lar ...
MEMBER ACCESS

Continue reading the complete case summary

Unlock the full case narrative for Orris Martin Smith, all available source links, additional videos, and member discussions.

Unlock Full Case Access — $3.97/month
Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in

Links to Additional Sources (8)

See any mistakes? Let us know!
  • Howard Unruh - Wikipedia
  • Smithsonian Magazine: The Story of the First Mass Murder in U.S. History
    • MEMBER ACCESS

    Unlock 6 additional sources

    View the complete collection of available reporting and reference links for this case.

    View All Case Sources — $3.97/month
    Cancel anytime.
    Already a member? Log in

    Latest News

    View All

    Forum Posts (3)

    I recently came across a photograph from that tragic day in Camden, and it's hard to shake off the s... ...Read More
    07/01/2024
    I've been thinking a lot about the impact that Orris Martin Smith's tragic death had on his family a... ...Read More
    04/01/2024
    I'm really haunted by the thought of young Orris Martin Smith sitting there on that hobby horse, jus... ...Read More
    01/15/2024
    MEMBER ACCESS

    Join the discussion for Orris Martin Smith

    Read full forum posts and contribute to this case discussion.

    Unlock forum access — $3.97/month
    Already a member? Log in

    Other Cases from Camden, New-jersey

    Jose Alvarez death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Jose Alvarez

    Death: Sep 13, 2015
    In the late hours of a Sunday evening in Camden, New Jersey, the life of 35-year-old Jose Alvarez wa w ...Read More
    Donald Green death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Donald Green

    Death: Jun 28, 2024
    In the late hours of a Friday night in Camden, New Jersey, the life of Donald Green, a 43-year-old B ...Read More
    Takwail Bailey death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Takwail Bailey

    Death: Nov 28, 2021
    On the evening of November 28, 2021, Takwail Bailey, a 29-year-old male, was fatally shot in Camden, n ...Read More
    Darrell Lopez death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Darrell Lopez

    Death: Jul 02, 2021
    On a summer morning in Camden, New Jersey, the sound of gunfire shattered the quiet of the 1100 bloc o ...Read More
    Tyrone Coleman death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Tyrone Coleman

    Death: Feb 27, 2019
    In the late hours of a Wednesday night in Camden, New Jersey, a car sat idling on the 2800 block of f ...Read More
    Curtis Chambers death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Curtis Chambers

    Death: May 22, 2016
    In the early morning hours of a Sunday in Camden, New Jersey, the life of 41-year-old Curtis Chamber e ...Read More
    Esterlin Torres death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Esterlin Torres

    Death: Dec 27, 2023
    On the evening of December 27, 2023, the sound of gunfire pierced the air in Camden, New Jersey, for o ...Read More