4 Unsolved Homicides in 6 Months – Will There Be Justice in Portsmouth?
The families of four homicide victims are still waiting for justice after a violent six months in the Comeback City.
The first tragedy happened back in June. Four-year-old Zsailynn Conley was sitting on the porch of his Grant Street home late one night when shots rang out in Mound Park. One of the bullets hit Zsailynn in the chest, cutting his young life short.
Despite an intensive investigation by Portsmouth Police, there have been no homicide charges in the case so far, and police have not named any persons of interest.
At the end of October, the body of 36-year-old Chad Sissel was discovered in the 1200 block of Linden Avenue. The manner in which the body was placed led police to believe Sissel’s death was a homicide.
The coroner sent his remains to the Montgomery County Medical Examiner for a forensic examination to determine the cause of death. So far, no cause of death has been released, and no persons of interest have been named in the case.
Less than a month later, shots rang out in the 700 block of Court Street just before 2:30 am, and two beloved employees of Toro Loco Restaurant were killed. Abraham Velasco and Xavier Luna were natives of Mexico who had worked at the restaurant for years.
SCDN was the first to tell you police were hunting for parolee 25-year-old Anthony Kearns.
However, despite a nearly month-long search, Kearns has not been arrested, nor have police released any possible motive for the shootings.
Rewards are sometimes used as an incentive to gather information on unsolved homicides, but so far, no special rewards have been offered for any information in the case.
If you have any information about any of these cases, contact the Portsmouth Police Department.