On a late summer evening in Portsmouth, Virginia, the life of 32-year-old Leon Golliday Jr. was tragically cut short. On August 31, 2011, Golliday was fatally shot inside his residence on Columbia Street. The incident unfolded at approximately 9:05 p.m., when police were dispatched to the 3700 block of the street after reports of gunfire. Upon their arrival, they discovered Golliday, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
In the years following the shooting, the case grew cold, leaving
a family grappling with unanswered questions and a community searching for justice. Investigators and Golliday's loved ones believe that there are individuals who possess information that could be crucial to solving the case. Despite the passage of time, law enforcement has continued to seek leads, at one point releasing surveillance footage that captured the perpetrator's vehicle speeding away from the scene of the crime. The hope was that a member of the public might recognize the vehicle and provide the tip needed to break the case open.
At the time of his death, Golliday was an IT specialist for Bon Secours and a native of Chicago. He was a husband and a father to a son and a stepdaughter. The impact of his violent death has left a lasting void in the lives of his family, including his parents, wife, and children. While a motive has not been officially confirmed, there were suggestions that the shooting may have been related to a small debt. However, without a suspect in custody, the precise circumstances leading to his murder remain unsolved. The Portsmouth Police Department has continued to appeal to the public for any information that could lead to an arrest and bring closure to the family of Leon Golliday.
