In the early morning of April 17, 2015, 24-year-old Dawan Turner was found dead in the passenger seat of a gray Kia Optima parked on Essex Street near Linden Boulevard in East New York, Brooklyn. Police were called about 8:20 a.m.; the city medical examiner later determined Turner died of a gunshot wound to the head and ruled the death a homicide.

Investigators looked at Turner's known associations with a local crew and treated a gang-related motive as a possible lead, though the police did not name any specific group. Turner had a criminal history that included seven prior arrests on charges such as strangulation and criminal mischief. Despite those lines of inquiry, the investigation stalled and no arrests were made.

Anyone with information about Turner, the gray Kia Optima, or activity on Essex Street near Linden Boulevard on April 17, 2015, is asked to come forward.