Lavert Durden, a 28-year-old African American man, was shot and killed on November 16, 2018, at the intersection of Herbert and Christopher Streets in West Augustine, Saint Augustine, Florida. The slaying followed a heated argument at that intersection. No arrests have been made in connection with his death, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office continues to list the case as an open investigation.

Durden’s family has been outspoken about the slow pace of the inquiry. His mother, April Sherman, has publicly expressed daily grief and frustration, and the family has organized protests and public appeals to press for action. Two men, Brandon Calloway and Traevon Watson, have been named as persons of interest; Calloway is serving time on an unrelated charge and Watson is on probation for another matter, but neither has been charged in Durden’s murder.

The killing occurred on the second anniversary of the unsolved double murder of his cousin Charles Durden and Charles’ friend Staffon Larry, who were found shot and burned in a vehicle in 2016. The family and community continue to ask anyone with information to come forward to help bring justice for Lavert.