Michael McNair, 26, of Alameda was found fatally shot on May 18, 2018, in East Oakland. His body was discovered alongside a fence at the rear of a building in the 2800 block of Parker Avenue. The shooting prompted a criminal investigation by local authorities.

Investigators focused on James Richards after his DNA was identified on a discarded motorcycle jacket found near the scene; Richards was arrested but denied involvement and was released. In August 2020 Richards was stopped by California Highway Patrol officers for erratic driving and, during that encounter, confessed to killing McNair. He was charged with murder and held without bail for over three years. At trial the defense argued Richards was undergoing a paranoid delusion and mental breakdown when he confessed, and raised issues about Detective Phong Tran’s conduct in a separate matter. A jury acquitted Richards and he was released.

McNair’s death remains unsolved in terms of a conviction; does anyone have information about Michael’s last day or the area around Parker Avenue that could help clarify what happened?