In the crisp autumn air of October 10, 2020, 16-year-old Jaydon Marshall Rayburn, a junior at Warwick High School, picked up an extra shift at the 7-Eleven on Warwick Boulevard in Newport News, Virginia. It was a decision that would tragically alter the course of his life and leave his family grappling with a loss that time may never fully heal. That evening, as he sat in his vehicle in the convenience store's parking lot, he was shot. Police were dispatched to the scene around 11:13 p.m.
following a report of a suspicious vehicle, where they discovered the wounded teenager.
Jaydon was rushed to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries. For two days, he fought for his life, but on October 12, 2020, the charismatic and well-loved young man succumbed to his wounds. His family described him as an amazing and handsome young man who was tragically taken from them too soon. Friends remembered him as a down-to-earth person who wasn't afraid to show he cared and who, they believed, had no enemies. Even in death, Jaydon's giving spirit shone through as he was a registered organ donor, and his organs were donated to help others.
In the years following Jaydon's death, his family has been left with the deep pain of his absence and the lingering question of who was responsible. The Newport News Police Department has continued to investigate the homicide, but no arrests have been made, and no official suspects have been named. The case has remained a painful open wound for his loved ones, who long for justice and closure.
In a renewed effort to solve the cold case, in September 2024, detectives released new surveillance footage from the night of the shooting. The video shows two young men running away from the scene and two female bystanders who may have witnessed the events unfold. Authorities have made a public plea for these individuals, or anyone with information, to come forward, hoping that this new evidence might be the key to finally bringing Jaydon's killer to justice and providing some measure of peace to his grieving family.
