Executive Summary
- Fairfax County police are seeking public assistance in the 2021 killing of Ronald Worthy Jr.
- The victim was found dead by his grandmother in an Alexandria apartment.
- Neighbors reported hearing gunshots, and shell casings were recovered at the scene.
- No service calls were made at the time of the shooting, complicating the initial response.
Fairfax County police are renewing their appeal for information regarding the unsolved 2021 homicide of 19-year-old Ronald Worthy Jr. in Alexandria, Virginia. Investigators are turning to the public in hopes of generating new leads in the cold case, which has remained open for nearly four years.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, Worthy was discovered deceased inside an apartment by his grandmother. Family members reportedly last saw the teenager alive on the morning of the incident. While the perpetrator has evaded capture, authorities confirmed that the investigation remains active.
Witnesses in the vicinity at the time of the death reported hearing gunshots during the afternoon, though law enforcement officials noted that "no calls for service were received" immediately following the sounds of gunfire. FOX 5 reported that investigators recovered cartridge cases from inside the apartment, corroborating the reports of a shooting.
During a news conference on Tuesday, a police spokesperson emphasized that the case remains a priority for the Major Crimes Bureau. "We continue to pursue an investigation and leads, but we are asking for the public's help in any information that they might have that can assist as we continue," the spokesperson stated. Authorities have urged anyone with information to contact the Fairfax County Police Major Crimes Bureau.
Investigative Outlook
The renewal of public appeals in cold cases often signals a strategic shift in investigative focus, aiming to leverage changes in relationships or circumstances that might encourage witnesses to come forward after the passage of time. In homicide investigations where forensic evidence such as shell casings exists but suspects remain unidentified, community cooperation becomes a critical component in bridging evidentiary gaps. The absence of immediate service calls despite reported gunshots highlights a potential challenge in community-police engagement that investigators are actively seeking to overcome to resolve the case.
