James P. Swain Jr. was 25 when he was found dead just after midnight on September 26, 2015, in the Peaceful Village public housing community in South Norfolk, Chesapeake. Officers discovered him lying in the grass behind an apartment complex on Welcome Road; he had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. He had no identification and was later identified by fingerprints.

A severe thunderstorm that morning complicated the initial investigation. Neighbors reported sounds that some thought were gunshots while others assumed it was thunder, and one witness first thought Swain was a pile of clothes under a clothesline. Rain limited forensic leads, though two shell casings were recovered and cell phone records show Swain had been in the area for several hours before his death. Family members say he had no fixed address and moved between friends, his girlfriend, and his grandmother, who lived nearby.

The Chesapeake Police Department continues to investigate; the case is cold and authorities are offering a reward for information leading to an arrest. If anyone knew James, saw activity in the Peaceful Village area that night, or has tips, please come forward.