Do you know who killed Larry Branch? Larry Glenn Branch Jr., a native of San Diego, California, is remembered by a loved one as a “kind, compassionate soul.” Born on October 16, 1971, he was a 31-year-old African-American man living in La Mesa at the time of his death. Larry was part of a large, close-knit family. He was a father to two daughters, Sharicka and Zaria, and a son named Matthew. He is survived by his parents, Larry Branch Sr. and Gloria Booker, his stepfather, Darrell Booker, and his siblings: sisters Sherelle Sapho, Monique Joseph, Tawnya Nnagi, and Stacy Booker, and brothers Garrett, Willie, and Daniel. His life was deeply rooted in the San Diego community where he was born and raised.
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, September 24, 2003, Larry was with several other people at an apartment complex in the Mountain View neighborhood of San Diego. He was sitting on a low retaining wall just inside the entryway of the complex located at 4575 Logan Avenue.
It was a seemingly ordinary night until three unidentified Black males approached the group.
Without any apparent provocation, one of the men addressed Larry with a simple, "What's up?" before drawing a handgun and opening fire. Larry was struck multiple times in his face and legs. The sudden and brutal attack sent shockwaves through the small gathering. After the shots were fired, all three assailants fled the scene on foot. Witnesses saw them run from the apartment complex and get into a newer-model red station wagon. The car sped away, heading northbound on 47th Street and disappearing into the night.
San Diego Police Department officers were dispatched to the 4500 block of Logan Avenue following reports of shots fired. When they arrived, they found Larry lying on the sidewalk in the entryway of the complex, critically injured. Paramedics provided immediate medical aid and transported him to a local hospital. Despite their efforts, Larry Glenn Branch succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead.
The San Diego Police Homicide Unit launched an investigation into the murder. Detectives interviewed witnesses who provided a chillingly clear, yet brief, account of the crime. The description of the three suspects and their getaway vehicle was circulated, but the motive for the seemingly targeted killing remained elusive. In the years that followed, Larry’s case grew cold, with no publicly announced leads, persons of interest, or arrests. The identities of the three men who approached him that night, and the reason they took his life, remain unknown.
The violent death of Larry Branch left his family heartbroken and searching for answers that have never come. His funeral service was held at Greenwood Mortuary, where family and friends gathered to mourn the man whose life was cut tragically short. The case is a painful reminder of the dozens of unsolved homicides in San Diego, leaving a void in the lives of many families.
More than two decades later, the murder of Larry Glenn Branch remains an open and unsolved case with the San Diego Police Department. Investigators continue to ask for the public's help for any information that might lead to a breakthrough. Anyone with knowledge about the shooting, the suspects, or the red station wagon seen leaving the area is urged to contact the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293. For those who wish to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. 
