Joseph Matus was 21 when he was fatally shot in a residential area of Westmorland, California, on April 6, 2018. Neighbors reported hearing multiple gunshots; emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene. He had recently moved to Westmorland with his girlfriend and their two young daughters and had just started a new job.

The Imperial County Sheriff’s Office treated the death as a homicide and said initial reports described multiple gunshot wounds from unknown assailants who fled immediately. Investigators identified a suspect believed to have rented a vehicle used in the crime; that vehicle was impounded and the suspect remained at large. Joseph’s family and the community held vigils and public events to keep attention on the case while authorities continued to gather evidence and seek information.

If anyone in Westmorland at the time remembers seeing a rented vehicle or suspicious activity on April 6, 2018, please come forward with tips.