Crime Fighters: Finding justice for aspiring musician

It's almost been two years since the death of a 23-year-old aspiring musician, now a close family friend says it's time to give him justice.

Ericka Solomon loved Richard Napper Matthews like he was her own son.

"A child from another mother," she said.

Solomon says the two talked multiple times a day, but on Sunday May 25, 2015 she says something felt wrong.

"He always calls me like 3 or 4 times a day, but this day he called me like 30 times, literally, and something didn't feel right," said Solomon.

Police say just after 12:30 a.m. on that Monday, Matthews was walking with a friend in the area of 17th Street and Luzerne in Philadelphia's Tioga-Nicetown section.

"Him and whoever the young man he was with, were walking. This is what we're told, I'm not sure we're walking to the parking lot and gun shots was fired from a car or a passerby or a walker, I'm not sure," said Solomon.

Matthews was hit twice, once in the chest and once in the neck. He died at the hospital.

The City of Philadelphia is offering up to $20,000 reward money for anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

All you have to do is call 215-546-TIPS.

All calls will remain anonymous.

Solomon says Matthews will live on through a group he helped create, called C.R.I.M.E.

"It stands for conscious rebels inspiring modern enlightenment and everybody who was in this group that's why I love these young men they all worked in college or have graduated college. And they help the little boys in the neighborhood take them to play basketball and things like that," Solomon said.

----------

Send a breaking news alert to Action News
Report a correction or typo

Learn more about the 6abc family of apps