In the spring of 2011, a tragedy unfolded on the streets of Portsmouth, Virginia, that left a family grieving and a community searching for answers. On the evening of April 22nd, 33-year-old Larry Donell Washington, a resident of nearby Suffolk, was found lying on the sidewalk in the 1600 block of Atlanta Avenue. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and, despite the efforts of first responders, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Larry, affectionately known to his loved ones as
'Lettuce,' was a forklift driver for the Martin Brower Company. He was a graduate of Nansemond River High School and had also earned a degree as an aircraft mechanic from the Aviation Maintenance Institute in Virginia Beach. His sudden and violent death was a profound loss for his wife, Saudi Washington, and his extended family and friends.
In the days and weeks that followed, the Portsmouth Police Department launched an investigation into the homicide. However, the case proved to be a challenging one. Despite appeals to the public for information, no immediate suspects were identified, and no arrests were made in connection with the shooting. The circumstances that led to Larry Donell Washington's death remained shrouded in mystery, leaving his loved ones without a sense of closure or justice. To this day, the case remains unsolved, a painful and lingering question for a family still mourning their loss.
