Robert A. Soto, 49, was fatally shot on August 13, 2008, during an apparent attempted robbery on Chicago’s West Side. Soto, an off-duty Chicago Police detective with 23 years on the force assigned to the Bomb and Arson Section, was sitting in a parked vehicle in the 3000 block of Franklin Boulevard with Kathryn Romberg when assailants approached and opened fire. Romberg died at the scene; Soto died the following day. The suspects fled immediately, prompting a manhunt by the Chicago Police Department. Jason Austin was eventually arrested and charged in the killings. The case attracted attention because an off-duty officer and a civilian were killed while sitting in a parked car, underscoring the vulnerability of people even when not on duty and drawing sympathy from the Chicago Police community and others.

If anyone saw activity around Franklin Boulevard on August 13, 2008, or has information about the attack, please come forward.