Matthew Douglas Greer-Blakey, a 20-year-old from Springfield, Illinois, was found dead in an alley in the 1000 block of Henrietta Street on the morning of March 30, 2018. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots around 10 p.m. the night before. The Sangamon County coroner determined he died from a gunshot wound that was not survivable and would have killed him immediately. His death was Springfield’s fifth homicide of the year and the third in March.

Matthew was born December 8, 1997, in Chicago and was remembered as a hardworking, respectful student-athlete. He graduated from Lanphier High School in May 2016, where he played football and basketball, and was attending Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, studying Business Administration and participating in intramural athletics.

Springfield police arrested 31-year-old Kevas L. Ballance and charged him with first-degree murder, armed robbery, aggravated discharge of a weapon, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and being an armed habitual criminal. Ballance had been released on parole two days before the killing after serving six years for a 2014 aggravated robbery; his bond was set at $2 million and he was taken into custody on a parole violation. The State’s Attorney said additional charges against others were possible as the investigation continued.

Did anyone who knew Matthew or saw activity in the Henrietta Street area that night come forward with information?