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4 murders in 6 days: Is a string of south Durham murders connected?

Durham Police are investigating a surge in homicides - four murders in just six days.

Posted Updated

By
Sarah Kreuger
, WRAL Durham reporter
DURHAM, N.C. — Durham police are investigating a surge in homicides – four murders in just six days.
The latest homicide was Tuesday night, when a body was found in a trunk at an apartment complex.

All of the killings happened in the southern part of Durham.

Police will be looking into possible gang disputes, asking: Are these murders connected, or is it a coincidence?

Who are the murder victims?

Three of the four victims have been identified – all are young men ages 18 to 23.

Marcus Ortega-Burch, 20, was killed last week at an apartment complex, in what police have said was not a random incident.

According to his obituary, he was a 2021 graduate of Northern High School, remembered as "respectful" and "courteous."

That same day, 18-year-old Wyhid Downey was fatally shot on Wabash Street.
Three days later, 23-year-old Anthony Giles was shot in broad daylight on N.C. Highway 55.

"My fear is that day’s coming when we’re going to have a citizen caught in the crossfire and they’re dead," said Larry Smith, who served as interim chief for the Durham Police Department and is now the spokesperson for the Durham Fraternal Order of Police.

He says although the surge in homicides is concerning, homicides are not always a good indicator of the overall level of violent crime – as they are often not random.

  • 663 shootings, with 210 people actually shot in 2020
  • 561 shootings, with 189 people actually shot in 2021
  • 533 shootings, with 172 people actually shot so far in 2022

Demographic data shows 143 men were shot in Durham this year, compared with 29 women. Data shows 144 Black individuals were shot this year, compared with 27 white individuals and 1 person of "unknown" race.

"I think the department is doing the best they can," he said.

Still, for those who live near the violence, it's unsettling.

WRAL News spoke with two women who live at the Falls Pointe at the Park Apartments, where the body was found Tuesday night. They asked not to be identified.

"We are looking to relocate now, just because you want to feel safe where you live," said one.

Police have not announced any arrests in these homicides.

One thing that makes it harder to investigate is staffing. As WRAL News has been reporting for more than a year now, the department still has a lot of vacancies. The latest numbers we have from earlier this summer show 20% of positions are open.

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