A promising young man's life was tragically cut short in the early morning hours of November 9, 2020, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Richard J. Anderson, a 22-year-old male from Henrico, was fatally shot while sitting in his mother's car in a parking lot in the 600 block of Newtown Road. At the time of his death, Anderson, who was also known as Arjai, was pursuing a career as a fashion model and was known for his involvement in the visual arts.
On the night of the incident, Anderson was in
Virginia Beach to attend an event. He had stepped out of the party to talk with his girlfriend on FaceTime. It was during this conversation that an unknown individual approached the vehicle and shot him. The preliminary investigation suggested that Anderson was the victim of an attempted robbery that turned deadly. He was discovered by police who were responding to a call about the shooting.
In the wake of the shooting, Richard's family traveled from their home in Richmond to Virginia Beach to hold a vigil and plead with the public for any information that might lead to the apprehension of the person responsible for his death. His mother described the pain of losing her son as something that would never be fair. The family remembered him as a vibrant and kindhearted person who was the life of the party. They offered a reward for information that could bring his killer to justice.
Despite the family's pleas and the initial police investigation, no suspect has ever been publicly identified or arrested in connection with the murder of Richard J. Anderson. The case has grown cold over the years, leaving his loved ones without answers or a sense of closure. The Virginia Beach Police Department had very few leads to go on from the beginning and urged anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it might seem, to come forward. The lack of progress in the case has left a void in the lives of his family and friends, who continue to mourn the loss of a young man with a bright future.
