A man who was beaten in Camden at the beginning of November has succumbed to his injuries.
Police say Gregory Holder, 45, of Cherry Hill, was arguing with two other men on Broadway and Berkley Streets in Camden back on November 2. The two men allegedly physically attacked him. Investigators believe the altercation was over a drug transaction.
Gregory Holder, Credit: Family Photo
Holder died from his injuries on Friday. Police say Holder’s death marks the 58th homicide in Camden in 2012, which matches the record number of homicides in the city set in 1995.
NBC10 spoke with Holder's parents. They told us Holder loved his dog, the outdoors and making people laugh. They also say he was a talented landscape architect who struggled with substance abuse for years.
NBC10 also spoke with Helene Pierson, a volunteer with Stop the Trauma on People (STOP). The group created a memorial outside Camden City Hall to honor the victims who have lost their lives to violence this year. A cross with Holder's name will soon be added.
"The city of Camden acts like this is normal," said Pierson. "It's not normal. It's not normal for people to die all the time. It's not normal for us to have a murder rate that's the highest in the country."
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"It's getting bad," said one longtime Camden resident. "It's time to consider relocating."
Pierson tells NBC10 they'll never stop speaking out for the victims of violence.
"There needs to be more conversations, more talk of the truth and less sugar coating," said Pierson. "This is America. There is no reason we should be acting like we're a third world country."
Holder leaves behind his father, mother and three brothers.
Police continue to investigate the murder. If you have any information on the identity of the suspects, please call the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office at 856-225-8500 or Camden Police at 856-757-7420.
