Javan Burt

Javan Lamur Burt, a man remembered for his great smile and caring, loving nature, was a father and a protector to those who knew him. Known to friends by the nicknames "J.Dot" and "jauan," the 29-year-old African-American man was a resident of Durham, North Carolina, where he had attended Southern High School. His life was abruptly and violently cut short in the fall of 2016, leaving behind a grieving family and a community searching for answers.

On the morning of Monday, November 21, 2016, a report came in to the Durham Police Department about a man lying on a railroad trestle. Officers were dispatched to the scene, a set of tracks near the intersection of NC Highway 55 and Carpenter Fletcher Road. There, they discovered the body of Javan Burt. Investigators quickly determined that he had been shot to death and was pronounced dead at the scene. The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unknown, and authorities have not released information about what Javan was doing in that area or who he might have been with.

The investigation into Javan's death was launched by the Durham Police Department. His killing was recorded as the 35th homicide in the city that year, a statistic that underscored a period of significant gun violence in the community. In the days following the discovery, police processed the scene for evidence and began seeking information from the public that could lead to the person or people responsible for Javan's murder.

Despite the initial investigation and public appeals, no suspects have ever been publicly identified or arrested in connection with the homicide. The case has grown cold over the years, with no new information released about potential motives or persons of interest. The fundamental questions of who killed Javan Burt and why remain unanswered, a painful uncertainty for his loved ones. His case is now considered one of Durham's unsolved homicides.

A week after his death, family and friends gathered to say their final goodbyes. A funeral service was held on Monday, November 28, 2016, at the First Calvary Baptist Church on Morehead Avenue in Durham. The following day, he was laid to rest at Mesic Memorial Cemetery. Those who mourned him remembered a giving and protective man, a father whose life was taken far too soon.

As of late 2016, the investigation into the murder of Javan Burt remains open but inactive. The Durham Police Department continues to ask for the public's help. Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact Investigator M. Evans at (919) 560-4440, ext. 29336. Anonymous tips can be submitted to CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200. CrimeStoppers offers cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest in felony cases, and callers are never required to identify themselves.