On a Saturday evening in Chesapeake, Virginia, the life of 21-year-old Cedric Towe was tragically cut short. On November 28, 2015, at approximately 10:20 p.m., police responded to calls of a shooting on Colonial Way in the South Norfolk section of the city. Upon arrival, officers discovered Towe in the street, where he was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound. This street was one Towe knew well, as it was where he had grown up.
The case remains an unsolved homicide.
Just hours before his death, in a cruel twist of irony, Cedric's father, Charles Towe, had spoken with a local news outlet about senseless violence in the community following an unrelated stabbing in his neighborhood. Later that evening, he dropped his son off at a 7-Eleven near Colonial Way. He recalled asking his son if he was sure he would be alright, to which Cedric replied that he was. Loved ones described Cedric as a hard worker who loved his family and had been contemplating joining the military.
Investigators and Towe's family believe he may have been lured to his death. According to his cousin, Cedric had texted a friend before the shooting, saying he was on Colonial Way to meet a woman. He reportedly told the friend that he was waiting for her and that she had not answered her phone or come outside. Further investigation revealed that Towe had been communicating on Facebook and via text message with someone using the name 'Kia Gotti.' Detectives discovered that the Facebook account under this name was created just three days before the killing and was later deactivated. His family also believes his cell phone may have been taken during the incident.
In the years since Cedric Towe's murder, no arrests have been made, and the case has grown cold. His family has pleaded for information from the public and offered a reward for any tips that lead to an arrest. The Chesapeake Police Department continues to list the case as an open cold case homicide and encourages anyone with information to come forward. A reward of up to $1,500 is also available through the Chesapeake Crime Line for information that leads to an arrest.
