Rick Allen Smoot was 28 when he was fatally shot outside 244 Ninth Street in San Francisco on February 8, 1978, at about 2 a.m. A police officer found Smoot at the scene and arranged transport to a hospital, where he died. Shortly after the shooting someone called the department asking about the victim’s condition; when asked if he was responsible the caller said yes and then disconnected instead of surrendering.

Investigators including Rotea Gilford and Earl Prentice Sanders worked the case, but the homicide produced insufficient evidence to identify or apprehend a suspect and eventually went cold. As of January 2025 the San Francisco Police Department lists the case as unsolved and is asking anyone with information to contact the Homicide Detail or submit an anonymous tip.

Did anyone in the neighborhood or who knew Rick at the time have information that wasn’t reported to police?