Brian Ward was 17 when he disappeared on September 29, 2020, in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Gunshots were heard on Allison Street just a couple of blocks from his home, and his family endured more than a year of false leads and even a hoax ransom demand while searching for him.

On December 2, 2021, skeletal remains found in a wooded area in Laurel, Maryland, were identified as Brian’s. An autopsy confirmed he died from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators later developed a theory that the killing was connected to a drug deal; court documents indicate the person identified in those papers confessed to shooting Brian during a struggle that arose during a marijuana transaction, then drove Brian’s body to the woods and disposed of it.

If anyone knew Brian’s movements that night, saw activity on Allison Street, or has information about a marijuana-related meeting in D.C. or Laurel around late September 2020, please share what you know with investigators.