Joseph Vincent Mattei was 29 when he was shot in New Haven’s Hill neighborhood on the evening of January 25, 2021. Officers found him inside a vehicle at the intersection of Plymouth and Lamberton Streets after gunfire; he was taken to a hospital in critical condition and died of his wounds on January 29, 2021. His death was ruled a homicide.

A New Haven native and Southern Connecticut State University graduate, Mattei worked as a social worker with the New Haven Family Alliance (now the Urban Community Alliance). He was a devoted father, brother, and son; family and colleagues remembered him as genuine, able to connect with young people, and willing to take risks to improve his life. His family arranged organ donation after his death.

The New Haven Police Department opened a homicide investigation and has urged anyone with information to contact detectives. Does anyone who knew Joseph or was in the Hill neighborhood that night have information that could help the investigation?