Warren Rusty Asher Jr., 57, was found dead in his sixth-floor apartment at The Lexington on D Street NW in Washington, D.C., on January 18, 2005. Colleagues became concerned after he failed to show for work on January 13 and did not return after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday; a coworker who checked on him earlier had been told he was seen around, but a later check of his apartment produced the discovery of his body.

The Metropolitan Police initially noted items overturned in the unit and no signs of forced entry; wallet, credit cards, cash, and cell phone were left behind. The D.C. Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death homicide by asphyxiation by compression of the neck. Investigators pursued leads into Asher’s personal life after learning he was gay and known to seek out male prostitutes a few blocks from his home, and considered the possibility a visitor to the apartment was involved.

No arrests have been announced and the case went cold; the D.C. Police cold case unit was still seeking information as of 2012. If anyone knew who visited Asher or has details about his contacts in that neighborhood, please share what you know.