Edwin Bradford

Edwin Bradford was a 42-year-old African-American man in Oakland, California. In 2009, police described him as a transient. His life was cut short on a Saturday morning in the city’s Fruitvale district.

Around 5 a.m. on March 21, 2009, Edwin was found at the end of a driveway behind an apartment building in the 2900 block of E. 27th Street. He had been shot to death.

When investigators processed the scene, evidence suggested that Edwin had not been shot where he was found. Police believed the shooting occurred in the 2600 block of Fruitvale Avenue and that Edwin had managed to run to the E. 27th Street location before collapsing from his injuries. Authorities also noted that they had received reports of gunfire in the area late the previous night, on Friday, but were unable to locate a victim or a crime scene at that time.

In the days following the discovery, police had few answers. Sergeant Rachael Van Sloten reported that investigators had not identified a motive or any suspects in the killing. Edwin's death was the 22nd homicide in Oakland that year. As of March 2009, his case remains unsolved. Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information.