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Reports of a body on Melton Avenue
05/05/2009 7:40 AM by John M
A keen-eyed and hardworking reader sends in the breaking news:
Dead body found on front porch on Melton Avenue. Wife of couple who just bought the place found the body this morning. Police have taped off the block. No additional details at moment. I have to get ready for work.
By my count, this is the 5th homicide in the East End this year – one a month since the beginning of the year. Even with this killing and the recent high-profile shooting in Union Hill, murder is still down in the End End this year from last (and last year was a good year). Last year at this time we’d had 10 killings in the East End; we also only had 4 in the final 6 months of the year, though.
The RTD has it as a shooting death:
I am not sure if this is related, but there is gang activity in that neighborhood. This is right across from the Oakwood Park football field. Last fall, we had a game interrupted due to a shooting. There is some rivalry between Fulton Hill and Church Hill.
Richmond Police have identified the man found shot to death this morning as Franklin Edward Baker, 26, of the 1700 block of Peter Paul Blvd.
Officers found Baker after responding to the 1400 block of Melton Street at approximately 7:15 a.m. Baker was found on the porch of a vacant home.
Detectives are still working to establish a motive in this homicide.
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Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call our Tips Line at 514-TIPS (8477) or Crime Stoppers at 780-1000.
This is shaping up to be a fun summer. wtf.
Here is the link to the most current RTD article: http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/crime/article/HOMI06_20090505-223012/265998/
I take exception to one statement in the article. “The slaying, residents advised, is an aberration in an otherwise quiet neighborhood.”
This simply is not true. There have been many incidents at this area. I don’t know if they were recorded in the police data base, but I was there when the shooting happened last fall. Following the shooting, there was another incident involving students getting off the school bus from Armstrong fighting and another incident of shooting the next day. Not mention the police chase through the grave yard one day at practice. Gang graffitti could be seen on the playground as of last fall. This is what I personally know of, but I am sure there are more incidents.
It does us no good to ignore the violence that inhabits our neighborhood. We need to recognize it and fight against it.
I have long sought police protection for our children who use this field to practice for football and cheerleading. I wish there were more readers of this blog whose children participated in Richmond Parks and Recs, because I could really use their support on this issue. We need lights and other facilities to bring this football field up to par with others used by Richmond Parks and Rec in the city.
As Oakwood park has no lights, it is frequented by teenagers from rival neighborhoods. There is no basketball court – just a field and a child’s play ground. There really is no reason for these groups of young people to congregate there. But, being unlit and unpoliced, it makes an attractive spot for those who want to go unnoticed.
“The slaying, residents advised, is an aberration in an otherwise quiet neighborhood.â€
This is said on the news about ANY incident in ANY area.