Ryan Thurnherr was 27 when he was murdered in Buffalo, New York, on October 16, 2018. He had been lured to the area of the East Ferry Liquor Store under the pretense of a drug transaction; shortly after his arrival, gunfire was heard and Thurnherr was found shot to death in a vacant lot near Winslow Avenue and Brooklyn Street.

Investigators say the killing was connected to a larger drug-trafficking investigation. Authorities allege Donte Walker, known as Slim, believed Thurnherr might become a witness in a DEA probe of a long-running heroin and cocaine distribution operation, and that the murder was intended to silence that perceived threat. The probe reportedly uncovered daily distribution of large quantities of narcotics, witness tampering, and the use of firearms tied to the enterprise.

Anyone with information about Ryan Thurnherr, the events near East Ferry Liquor Store on October 16, 2018, or the operation described is asked to come forward.