David Patrick Barnwell

Do you know who murdered David?
On a warm summer evening in San Diego, the life of David Patrick Barnwell, a 30-year-old Caucasian man, was brought to a violent and sudden end. The quiet residential street where he lived became the scene of a brazen killing that has remained unsolved for decades, leaving a void of information and unanswered questions for his loved ones and community. Little is publicly known about David’s personal life, his family, or his pursuits, but his death on Saturday, June 27, 1998, is a cold case file that the San Diego Police Department hopes to one day close. Some records indicate he may have also been known by the name Paul Moyers.

The fatal encounter took place in front of David’s own residence in the 6300 block of Sullivan Avenue, located in the Allied Gardens neighborhood of San Diego. In the time leading up to the shooting, witnesses reported seeing a newer model white 4-door Ford Explorer with tinted windows driving back and forth along the street. The vehicle’s repeated presence seemed suspicious, a prelude to the violence that would soon unfold. At some point, David saw the vehicle and walked toward it, approaching the driver’s side.

What happened next was swift and brutal. The driver of the Ford Explorer exited the vehicle and, without apparent warning, shot David Patrick Barnwell multiple times. The gunfire shattered the evening calm and left David mortally wounded on the pavement. The assailant immediately got back into the Explorer and fled the scene, driving eastbound on Sullivan Avenue and disappearing into the night. The motive for the attack and the nature of the interaction between David and his killer remain unknown.

The San Diego Police Department responded to the scene and launched a homicide investigation. Detectives canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses, but the information they gathered proved to be frustratingly inconsistent. The accounts of who was in the white Ford Explorer varied significantly, complicating the effort to create a clear profile of the suspect. One witness described the shooter as a White male wearing a light-colored shirt and light pants. A second witness, however, reported seeing the vehicle leaving the area with two Latino male occupants who were both wearing T-shirts. A third witness provided yet another description: a single Latino male with short, dark hair, dressed in what appeared to be a blue uniform.

These conflicting descriptions created a significant challenge for investigators, making it difficult to know whether they were searching for one individual or multiple people of different ethnicities. With no clear suspect to pursue and a lack of further leads, the investigation eventually grew cold. The case was handed over to the San Diego Police Department's Cold Case Team, a specialized unit created in 1995 that works with other local and federal agencies to re-examine unsolved homicides. These investigators often leverage advances in forensic technology and hope that the passage of time may encourage new witnesses to come forward with information they were once hesitant to share.

More than two decades have passed since David Barnwell was killed, and his case remains an open and active investigation. As of today, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The file is a stark reminder of the pain that unsolved homicides inflict on families who are left without answers or justice. The San Diego Police Department continues to seek information from the public that could finally shed light on the events of that tragic night.

Authorities urge anyone who may have information about the murder of David Patrick Barnwell, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. Anyone with a tip can 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. A small detail, a remembered conversation, or a name could be the key to breaking the silence that has surrounded this case for so many years.