Do you know who murdered 26 year old Matthew Cedric Bovell in 2012? Matthew Cedric Bovell, a 25-year-old Black man known to friends and family as “Skinny,” was a son, brother, uncle, and friend. Above all, he was a devoted father to his young sons. His life was remembered by those who loved him as one that departed far too suddenly, leaving behind a family to mourn his loss, including his father, Philip, and his son, Elija.
On the morning of Saturday, April 7, 2012, his life was violently taken in Fort Washington, Maryland. At approximately 7 a.m., officers from the Prince George's County Police Department were dispatched to the 7300 block of Webster Turn, a residential street in the suburban community. In the driveway of a home, they discovered Matthew suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite the arrival of emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives with the department's homicide unit immediately began an investigation into the killing.
The initial police theory, released in the days following the shooting, suggested a possible motive. Authorities stated that evidence indicated Bovell may have been in the process of stealing property from a vehicle when he was confronted by an unknown individual and shot. This encounter in the quiet, early morning hours turned fatal, though investigators worked to determine the precise sequence of events and identify the person responsible for firing the weapon.
The Prince George's County Police Department sought to piece together the circumstances that led to Matthew Bovell's death. Detectives canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses and evidence, trying to develop a clear motive and identify a suspect. They publicly confirmed Bovell's identity and his address on the 700 block of Bricker Drive in Fort Washington. However, the investigation did not immediately lead to an arrest, and police did not release any description of a potential suspect or persons of interest in the case.
In the years since Matthew Bovell was killed, his case has grown cold. There have been no public announcements from the Prince George's County Police Department regarding arrests, charges, or significant new leads. The identity of the person who shot him in the driveway on Webster Turn remains unknown to the public, and the case is considered an unsolved homicide. The narrative of his final moments, as initially described by police, has not been officially updated or resolved through the justice system.
The loss left a permanent void in the lives of his loved ones. His family published his obituary in The Washington Post on April 11, 2012, formally announcing the sudden and tragic departure of a man they held dear. More than a decade later, the case remains without a conclusion, leaving his family and community without answers or justice for his death. The investigation into the homicide of Matthew Cedric Bovell is ongoing, and authorities typically urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. 
