Rayshonn D. Hester, 35, was fatally shot in the back of the head during an attempted robbery on Erie Boulevard East in Syracuse on June 3, 2018. He was asleep in his vehicle in the early morning when two men approached intending to rob him; the encounter escalated and Hester was killed. He is described as a restoration specialist and lifelong resident of Syracuse.

The Syracuse Police Department identified Wendell Griffin as a primary suspect and issued a warrant charging him with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery, describing him as armed and dangerous. Griffin was later captured, tried, and convicted by a jury of second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree robbery; his appeal was denied. Griffin’s accomplice, Joshua Wright, was also convicted and in a separate proceeding was sentenced to 25 years to life for first-degree murder. Hester’s stepmother read a moving impact statement at sentencing about the family’s loss and the kind of person he was.

If anyone knew Rayshonn, his movements the morning of June 3, 2018, or has additional information about the incident, please share what is known.