Cortez Hampton Jr., a 15-year-old Black male from Saginaw, Michigan, was found dead in an abandoned house in the 2000 block of South Jefferson Avenue on the morning of July 7, 2023. Officers responding to a call just before 10 a.m. discovered he had sustained at least one fatal gunshot wound.

Family remember Cortez as a funny kid who enjoyed video games, making rap music, and spending time with loved ones. His mother, Amanda Walker, has said she believes the killing was premeditated and that people Cortez considered friends lured him to the house with the promise of a party because he refused to join their criminal activity. Walker also says the perpetrators recorded his final moments and that a video captures Cortez saying he thought they were his friends before he was shot.

As of fall 2023 no arrests had been announced and the Saginaw Police Department’s investigation remained open. If anyone has information about Cortez’s death or the alleged recording, please come forward to assist the investigation.