In the early hours of a stormy Saturday morning, the life of James P. Swain Jr., a 25-year-old Black male, came to a violent end in Chesapeake, Virginia. On September 26, 2015, police were called to the Peaceful Village public housing community in the South Norfolk section of the city. Just after midnight, amidst a severe thunderstorm where the sound of gunshots could be mistaken for claps of thunder, Swain's body was discovered lying in a grassy area behind an apartment complex on Welcome
Road. He had been shot multiple times.
When officers arrived at the scene, the rain was still coming down. The victim had no identification on him, making it initially impossible for authorities to know who he was. An autopsy later confirmed his identity through fingerprints. The investigation into his final hours revealed that Swain, who had been released from prison only three months earlier, did not have a permanent home and had been moving between the residences of friends and relatives. Data from his cell phone showed he had been in the area for several hours, taking pictures of himself as late as 11:15 p.m. the night before his body was found.
Despite the efforts of the Chesapeake Police Department, the case grew cold. Investigators recovered two shell casings from the scene, but they have not been matched to any known firearm. No suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of James Swain Jr. His death remains an unsolved homicide, one of the city's cold cases, with authorities still seeking information from the public that could lead to a breakthrough and provide closure for his family. A reward is being offered for any tip that results in an arrest.
