Primes PJ Rucker III, a 34-year-old African American man, was found dead in his Orlando apartment on July 6, 2019. Deputies arrived about 1:30 a.m. at the Casa Vida Apartments on Veranda Circle after an aggravated battery call and discovered Rucker fatally wounded; authorities did not immediately disclose the exact cause of death.

Witnesses, including Rucker’s mother Malinda McNair-Rucker, said two masked men dressed in black broke into the apartment by shattering a sliding glass door. Rucker is reported to have emerged from his bedroom to confront the intruders and protect his 19-year-old nephew; he was shot and killed and the assailants fled. Investigators noted a scale and a backpack with a label indicating possible marijuana in the unit, though links to drug activity were not confirmed.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office opened a homicide investigation, offered a $5,000 reward for tips, and sought public assistance; no arrests were announced at the time of these reports. If anyone has information that could help identify the intruders or clarify what happened that night, please come forward.