Sometimes a murder happens in a place where you would expect people to be safe.

Sometimes it happens in the middle of the night, when most of the city is asleep and there are fewer witnesses around.

And sometimes the person responsible disappears into the darkness before anyone has a chance to stop them.

That is what happened to Adrian Harris.

On January 24, 2018, Adrian was in Knoxville, Tennessee, spending time with his cousin, 27-year-old James Watts.

By the end of the night, Adrian would be dead.

His cousin would be fighting for his life.

And investigators would be left searching for the person responsible.

Nearly nine years later, Adrian’s case remains unsolved.

A January Morning in Knoxville

It was around 1:30 in the morning when Knoxville Police received a call about shots fired at 2925 Selma Avenue.

When officers arrived, they discovered two men suffering from gunshot wounds to the torso.

The victims were Adrian Harris and James Watts.

Both men were transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Adrian did not survive.

James Watts suffered life-threatening injuries and required surgery.

There was initially confusion surrounding the victims’ conditions. Early information indicated that both men had died, but police later clarified that the information had resulted from a miscommunication with the hospital. Adrian was the fatal victim, while Watts survived.

Imagine being Adrian’s family and receiving that phone call.

A shooting.

Your loved one has been taken to the hospital.

Then comes the worst possible news.

Adrian was gone.

He was only 34 years old.

His obituary states that he died January 24, 2018, at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. His family and friends remembered him in the days following his death, with messages describing him as someone who was deeply loved and missed.

But while his family was beginning to grieve, investigators were beginning another process.

Trying to figure out who killed him.

The Car in the Darkness

There is one detail about this case that immediately grabs my attention.

Investigators identified a small, dark-colored sedan as a possible suspect vehicle.

That information was publicly released shortly after the shooting, and the public was asked to come forward with anything they knew.

Years later, East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers described the case in even stronger terms.

According to Crime Stoppers, investigators determined from evidence at the scene that this was not a random act.

That statement changes the way I look at this case.

Because if investigators believe this wasn’t random, then the question becomes:

Who was the shooter looking for?

And why?

This Wasn’t Just a Shooting

As a Criminal Justice major, one of the things I constantly look for when examining an unsolved homicide is motive.

Not because motive is always necessary to solve a murder.

It isn’t.

But motive can help investigators build a timeline and determine relationships between the victim and potential suspects.

In Adrian’s case, investigators have publicly characterized the shooting as something other than random.

That makes me wonder whether Adrian or someone with him was specifically targeted.

Was someone following them?

Did someone know where they would be?

Was there an argument earlier that night?

Did someone have a disagreement with Adrian or James?

Was there a history between the victims and the person responsible?

These are the questions I would want answered.

My Criminal Justice Theories

Before I get into my theories, I want to make something very clear.

These are my personal theories based on the publicly available information. They are not accusations against any individual.

Theory #1: Adrian and James Were Targeted

This is the theory that stands out the most to me.

Crime Stoppers specifically stated that investigators believed the shooting was not random.

If that’s the case, I would start by examining the victims’ relationships, recent conflicts, communications and movements.

Who knew where they were?

Who knew where they were going?

Who had recently argued with either man?

Who may have wanted one of them dead?

And perhaps most importantly:

Was the shooter targeting Adrian, James, or both?

The fact that two people were shot makes that question especially important.

Theory #2: The Shooter May Have Followed Them

The suspect vehicle was reportedly described as a small, dark-colored sedan.

That makes me want investigators to reconstruct the victims’ movements before the shooting.

Where did Adrian and James come from?

Where were they headed?

How long had they been together?

Were there witnesses who saw a vehicle following them?

Were there businesses, homes or traffic cameras along their route?

Even if investigators never get a clear image of the shooter, identifying the vehicle could potentially be the key.

A vehicle doesn’t have to give you a face.

Sometimes it gives you a direction.

Theory #3: Someone Knows Who Was Driving That Sedan

This is where cold cases get frustrating.

A suspect vehicle was reportedly identified.

That means someone may have seen it.

Someone may recognize the description.

Someone may have known who drove a vehicle matching that description.

And somebody may have heard something afterward.

People talk.

Sometimes they talk immediately.

Sometimes they talk months later.

Sometimes they tell a friend, a family member or someone they trust.

And sometimes those people know that what they were told could help solve a murder.

That is why I would continue pushing the public-information side of this investigation.

Someone may know more than they have ever told investigators.

What Happened After the Shooting?

Another question I would be asking is what happened immediately after the murder.

Where did that sedan go?

Was it seen leaving the area?

Did anyone notice a vehicle speeding away?

Did the shooter change vehicles?

Did the suspect return home?

Was there surveillance footage from nearby businesses?

Were cell phone records available?

Were ballistic findings connected to other shootings?

And was every potential witness re-interviewed as the years passed?

Those questions matter because investigations don’t end at the crime scene.

The crime scene is where the story begins.

The rest of the story is what investigators have to reconstruct.

Nine Years Without Answers

Knoxville Police continue to list Adrian Harris among the department’s unsolved murders from the 2010s.

The department’s case listing identifies the location as 2925 Selma Avenue and states that investigators responded to the call on January 24, 2018. Adrian was found deceased, while another victim was transported to UT Medical Center.

That means this case has survived nearly a decade without the answer Adrian’s family deserves.

Nine years.

Nine years of birthdays that Adrian never got to celebrate.

Nine years of holidays without him.

Nine years of wondering who could have done this.

Nine years of wondering whether someone knows.

And perhaps most painful of all:

Nine years of wondering why.

The Human Being Behind the Case Number

When we talk about cold cases, victims can easily become statistics.

A name.

A date.

A location.

A case number.

But Adrian wasn’t a case number.

He was somebody’s son.

Somebody’s cousin.

Somebody’s friend.

Somebody who had people who loved him.

His obituary and memorial messages paint a picture of someone whose absence was deeply felt by the people who knew him. One memorial message remembered Adrian as a beloved family member and friend, while another spoke about missing the conversations and friendship they shared.

That’s the part I don’t want us to forget.

The murder didn’t end when Adrian died.

It changed the lives of everyone who loved him.

What Would It Take to Solve This Case?

Sometimes people assume that if a case hasn’t been solved after several years, there must not be any evidence.

That’s not necessarily true.

There could be evidence that hasn’t yet led investigators to the right person.

There could be witnesses who haven’t come forward.

There could be information that investigators didn’t know was important at the time.

There could be technology available today that wasn’t available in 2018.

And there could be someone sitting on information that they have convinced themselves doesn’t matter.

It does matter.

The smallest detail can sometimes become the missing piece.

A name.

A conversation.

A vehicle.

A location.

A text message.

A rumor.

A memory.

Anything.

Someone Knows

East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers continues to list Adrian Harris’ homicide as an open case and specifically asks anyone with information about the shooting to come forward anonymously.

I keep coming back to the same question.

Who was driving that dark sedan?

Someone may know.

Maybe they know exactly who was behind the wheel.

Maybe they only know what the car looked like.

Maybe they heard something afterward.

Maybe they have spent years telling themselves that whatever they know isn’t enough to matter.

It is.

Because Adrian’s family has spent nearly nine years without an answer.

And they shouldn’t have to spend another nine.

If you know something about Adrian Harris’ murder, contact investigators or submit an anonymous tip through East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers.

You don’t have to be the person who solves the case.

You may simply be the person who gives investigators the one piece of information they have been missing.

Adrian Deserves More Than a Memorial

Adrian Harris died on January 24, 2018.

His family has carried that loss ever since.

But remembering someone isn’t the same thing as getting justice.

Justice means finding the person responsible.

Justice means answering the questions.

Justice means allowing a family to finally know what happened to the person they loved.

And until that happens, Adrian’s name should continue to be spoken.

Because cold cases aren’t just old cases.

They are unfinished stories.

And Adrian Harris’ story isn’t finished.

Someone knows what happened on Selma Avenue that January morning.

I hope someday they decide to talk.

Until Every Case Is Solved.

Sources

Knoxville Police Department. 

WVLT News. 

East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers. 

Knoxville News Sentinel / Legacy.com. 

Knoxville News Sentinel / Legacy.com.