James David Smith, 25, had recently moved from New York to Waterbury, Connecticut, and was building a creative life as a DJ who used drones to produce music videos. On the evening of May 13, 2021, while moving into an apartment on Chestnut Avenue shortly before 8 p.m., Smith was shot in the head and body and pronounced dead at the scene.

Surveillance from the housing complex showed an assailant wearing a black surgical mask and a hoodie approach Smith from behind; the attacker concealed a handgun in a shopping bag and shot Smith multiple times before fleeing. Waterbury Major Crime Detectives used video from nearby homes and businesses to trace the suspect’s movements, identify a getaway vehicle and link it to a residence.

Investigators located a vinyl glove in the abandoned vehicle that tested positive for gunshot residue and for the DNA of 23-year-old Gerome Phillips. Phillips was arrested in the Bronx on June 8, 2021, extradited to Waterbury on June 11 and charged with murder, criminal use of a weapon and carrying a pistol without a permit; he was held on $2 million bond. After a jury trial in Waterbury Superior Court, Phillips was found guilty of murder on October 24, 2024, with sentencing scheduled for January 16, 2025.

Did anyone in Waterbury know James or see activity around the Chestnut Avenue complex on May 13, 2021?