Dareon Raymone Tarbor, a man remembered as a loving son, brother, and father, was building a life for himself in Denver, Colorado, far from his hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. Born on May 23, 1985, to Darryl Raymone and Daree Ella Taylor Tarbor, he was known to friends and family by the affectionate nickname "DaeRay." At 30 years old, Dareon, a Black man, worked as a roofer. Those who loved him would later recall his laughter, his presence, and his phone calls, all of which were tragically silenced in the autumn of 2015.
On the afternoon of Saturday, October 10, 2015, the calm of the Pembrooke on the Green apartment complex in southeast Denver was violently disrupted. Around 4:30 p.m., gunfire echoed through the property located at 11100 East Dartmouth Avenue. Residents heard between four and six shots fired near the complex's laundry room.
When they rushed outside, they found Dareon Tarbor lying in the parking lot, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
In his final moments, Dareon was surrounded by strangers who became desperate first responders. One witness, Brittany Alshawy, recalled him rolling on the ground in pain, repeating, "I can't breathe, I can't breathe, help me, I can't breathe." He removed his shirt, revealing gunshot wounds to his chest and arm. Residents from their balconies ran to get towels, trying to apply pressure and stop the bleeding while they waited for help to arrive. Alshawy remembered asking him who had shot him, but he only continued to plead for help. Witnesses reported seeing three people running from the scene immediately after the shots were fired.
Paramedics arrived and rushed Dareon to Denver Health Medical Center, but his injuries were too severe. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. The Denver County coroner’s office later confirmed that the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and officially ruled his death a homicide. The attack on Dareon was one of several homicides that would remain unsolved in Denver that year, a painful statistic for a grieving community.
The Denver Police Department launched a homicide investigation under case number 2015-591475. Investigators processed the scene and interviewed numerous eyewitnesses, but no suspect information was ever publicly released. Police stated they believed one or more people fled after the killing, but the trail seemed to go cold quickly. In the years since, Dareon's case has been added to Colorado's cold case files.
In the wake of his murder, Dareon's body was returned to his family in Waterloo, Iowa, for burial. A friend, posting in an online guestbook, captured the family’s profound grief, writing, "Words cannot express the grief we feel for the way everything went down that took you away from us." The message promised Dareon's mother, Daree, that friends would watch over her, his brothers, his sister, and his children. It concluded with a heartbreaking farewell: "We will miss your laughter, your presence, and your phone calls. Until we meet again my friend/brother."
Years have passed, but no arrests have been made, and justice for Dareon Tarbor remains elusive. His case is a reminder of the lasting trauma that unsolved violence inflicts on families and communities. As of June 2024, the investigation is still open but inactive, waiting for a new lead that could break the silence. The Denver Police Department continues to ask for the public's help. A reward of up to $2,000 is available through Metro Denver Crime Stoppers for any information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of the person or people responsible for Dareon Tarbor's murder. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Denver Police Department at 720-913-2000 or the Crime Stoppers tip line at 720-913-STOP (7867).
