Late on December 28, 2000, seven people were shot to death inside a West Philadelphia rowhouse on the 800 block of Lex Street in what became known as the Lex Street Massacre. Among the victims was 33-year-old Ronette Abrams, an African American woman, one of seven killed that night alongside Alfred Goodwin, Edward Sudler, Calvin CJ Helton Jr., George Porter, Tyrone Long Jr., and 15-year-old Samuel Malik Harris Jr.

The initial investigation led to the arrest of four men in January 2001, but charges against them were dropped after 18 months and they later received a $1.9 million settlement for wrongful arrest. In 2002 new suspects were charged: brothers Dawud and Khalid Faruqi, Shihean Black, and Bruce Veney. Prosecutors said the motive was a feud over a car and that the Faruqi brothers and Black were the shooters while Veney was the getaway driver.

In March 2004 all four were convicted; the Faruqi brothers took a plea to avoid the death penalty and received life terms, Black received multiple life terms, and Veney, who cooperated and testified, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 to 30 years. Did anyone who knew Ronette or was in that neighborhood that night see something that could still shed light on what happened?