In the late hours of a Thursday in August 2017, the life of 27-year-old Eric Blackshear was tragically cut short. On August 17th, at approximately 9:57 p.m., Newport News police were called to the 7400 block of River Road following reports of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered Blackshear suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound to his upper torso.
He was rushed to a local hospital for medical attention but succumbed to his injuries in the early morning of August 18, 2017.
The investigation into the homicide quickly led to a person of interest. Within a week of the shooting, on August 24, 2017, Donell Anthony Howard, who was 25 at the time, turned himself into police custody. Howard was subsequently charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a felon. However, in a turn of events, the charges against Howard were later nol prossed, a legal term indicating that the prosecution declined to pursue the case at that time.
For years, the case remained unresolved, leaving a void for the family and friends of Eric Blackshear. But in a significant development, the Newport News Police Department's Cold Case Team uncovered new information related to Blackshear's murder. This breakthrough led to a grand jury issuing new indictments against Donell Howard in October 2024. The new charges included first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. On October 21, 2024, seven years after the initial incident, Howard was taken into custody once again, offering a renewed hope for justice for Eric Blackshear.
