A man will spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2022 murder of a teen girl in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, District Attorney Larry Krasner announced Wednesday.
On Aug. 1, 2024, a jury convicted 26-year-old Damir Richardson of murder and possession of an instrument of crime in the shooting death of 17-year-old Carissa Bright. Richardson was then sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
On Jan. 14, 2022, Bright was sitting in the backseat of a vehicle along the 6500 block of Ross Street. Richardson then drove his Honda Odyssey next to the vehicle, pulled out a gun and opened fire, shooting Bright in the head and chest. Richardson then drove away from the scene.
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Bright was later pronounced dead. Investigators believe Bright’s boyfriend, who was sitting next to her at the time of the shooting, was Richardson’s intended target. Police said none of the teens who witnessed the shooting cooperated with the investigation.
Police eventually identified Richardson as the suspect in the shooting. Investigators said two 9mm fired cartridge casings (FCC) that were found at the shooting scene matched another FCC that was lodged in the windshield of the vehicle Bright was inside. Investigators also said cell site location analysis, surveillance video and DNA on the steering wheel of the Honda Odyssey all led them to Richardson.
Several hours after killing Bright, Richardson drove to Gloucester Township, New Jersey, pulled out a gun and fired at his ex-girlfriend’s home. No one inside the house was injured. Gloucester police and Philadelphia police later determined the fired cartridge casings from the Gloucester shooting matched those recovered from the scene in Germantown.
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Richardson was later arrested on July 23, 2022, after being extradited from California where he had fled following the two shootings.
"Thanks to Assistant District Attorney Lauren Crump of our Homicide and Non-Fatal Shootings Unit for her skillful prosecution of this case," District Attorney Larry Krasner said. "This case is an excellent example of law enforcement collaboration that resulted in taking an extremely dangerous individual off the street. My office worked hand in hand with the Philadelphia Police Department and Gloucester Police Department to help build a strong case against Mr. Richardson. Thanks to that cooperation, this defendant no longer poses a threat to the community."
