Gardner Leroy Keys, 55, was found shot to death on January 1, 2019, at a homeless encampment in Merced, California. The Merced County Coroner’s Office identified him and listed a gunshot wound as the cause of death. A retired journeyman pressman who had worked for the San Francisco Chronicle, he was remembered for his kind soul and strong Christian faith and is survived by his son Anthony Leroy Keys and his brother Sterling Keys.

Local authorities described the death as a homicide and multiple law enforcement agencies worked the investigation. There were no immediate arrests or publicly identified suspects in the days after the shooting, and no major breakthrough had been reported. The family and community were left seeking answers and officials asked anyone with information to come forward.