On a bright evening in August 2012, 52-year-old Francisco Bland was shot dead on Edgewood Street near Springfield Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia. Police responded to a call at 6:17 p.m. and found Bland, a resident of the 6000 block of Trinity Street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his head, face, neck, and upper torso. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene at 6:24 p.m.

Investigators said evidence pointed to a brutal, close-range attack; at least 14 shots were fired at point-blank range. Witnesses described a possible suspect as a thin man in his 30s with dreadlocks, seen fleeing eastbound on Springfield Avenue. Detectives interviewed family and witnesses; the motive remained unclear. Bland was known to police and had an arrest record, but authorities were focused on identifying the person who carried out the daylight slaying.

If anyone was in the area that evening or has information about the man with dreadlocks, please come forward to help answer what happened.