Ronnie Devers

Do you know what happened to Ronnie Devers?
Ronnie O. Devers was a kind soul with a big heart who, according to his family, would give his last dollar to make sure someone else was happy. A 32-year-old Black man, Ronnie was a father remembered by his sister, Ronnette Devers, as someone who "touched many hearts and all he ever did was reach out to everyone." She said her brother didn't mean any harm to anyone, which made his violent death all the more incomprehensible to his loved ones.

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, October 19, 2016, residents in the Benson Gardens neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska, heard noises that some dismissed as firecrackers. One neighbor, Rhett Noland, recalled hearing what he thought were "little M-80s" but didn't think anything of it. It wasn't until later that the grim reality became clear. At 7:06 a.m., Omaha Police officers responded to a call about a "down party" at 2202 Benson Gardens Boulevard, near 79th Street. In the backyard of the property, they found Ronnie Devers unresponsive. He had been shot and was declared deceased at the scene.

Police quickly cordoned off the area, using blankets to shield Ronnie's body from public view while they began their investigation. The yard was littered with evidence markers, indicating the presence of shell casings. The Omaha Police Department classified the death as a homicide and began piecing together the events that led to the shooting. Despite the sounds heard by neighbors, no one reported seeing the actual incident, and the circumstances surrounding Ronnie's death remained a mystery.

The killing unsettled the Benson Gardens community. Some residents told reporters that violence in the area was getting worse, with recent fights and other shootings. One longtime resident, William Minnifield Jr., expressed his fear and desire to move away. "It’s getting worse in Omaha. Starting to look like New York, Chicago, California or something," he said. "After my lease, I'm gone. I ain’t sticking around. I ain’t going to find out what happens next."

In the weeks that followed, Ronnie's grieving family pleaded with the public for help. His sister Ronnette could not understand why anyone would take his life. "It just hurts so much and I know that my brother didn't mean no harm to anyone," she said. A family friend, Dr. Jeanna Burrell, urged potential witnesses to come forward, emphasizing that even seemingly irrelevant details could be crucial for investigators. "Someone seen cars out at that time, someone seen people partying in front of the building. Someone seen something. Those things are relevant and you may not know it," Burrell stated, adding that the family sought closure and justice, not revenge.

As of November 2016, the investigation into Ronnie Devers' murder was ongoing, but no arrests had been made. The case has since gone cold, leaving his family still searching for answers. Omaha Crime Stoppers offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case, a fund the family hoped to add to. The Omaha Police Department continues to ask anyone with information about the death of Ronnie Devers to contact the OPD Homicide Unit at 402-444-5656 or Omaha Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP (7867).