Exactly a year since his death, Nicole Hyman still can’t believe her son is gone.
“I’m still in denial that I buried my child before me,” she said. “It’s a horrible feeling.”
On May 14, 2012, Hyman’s son, Rodney Ramseur, along with his girlfriend, Latia Jones, were sitting together on the porch of Ramseur's home on the 200 block of Sparks Street in the Olney section of the city. Suddenly, police say, they were approached by a gunman who shot both of them in the head and then fled the scene.
Ramseur was pronounced dead at the scene while Jones was pronounced dead at Einstein Hospital shortly after. They were both 21-years-old.
Ramseur’s sister, who was 8-months pregnant at the time, ran outside after she heard gunshots. The sight of her dead brother proved to be so traumatic that she went into an early labor.
Police say the “no snitching” culture could be the motive behind the double murder. In 2010, Ramseur was a witness to a murder and was considering helping the authorities.
Law enforcement sources tell NBC10’s Nefertiti Jaquez that a man connected to the shooting, identified as James Frazier, was arrested on June 19, 2012. While sources say Frazier admitted to being the getaway driver, he refused to identify the actual shooter. Sources also say he didn’t know about Jones’ death until he saw it on the news.
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A year later, Ramseur and his girlfriend’s killer remains on the loose. What also remains is the unbearable pain of those who knew and loved the young couple.
“Latia was my only child,” said Latia’s mother, Alvita Davis. “I cannot express to you the pain that I feel everyday not having Latia here.”
Both Davis and Hyman held a memorial service in their children’s honor Tuesday night. Friends and family prayed for comfort as they released balloons into the sky. They also prayed for the killer to come forward.
“To the killer, I’d like to say, I hope your mother enjoyed her Mother’s Day,” said Davis. “Because I didn’t enjoy my Mother’s Day. You took my Mother’s Day away from me. I pray that your conscience bothers you to the point that you’ll come forth and be a man and say what you’ve done.”
