OAKLAND — Groups of people surrounded a tidy West Oakland house Thursday morning, weeping and consoling each other over the news that their friend and loved one was found shot to death inside. Chad Murphy, 26, who friends and relatives described as a budding real estate entrepreneur, was discovered by his mother, Deloris Thomas, inside the Myrtle Street home they shared when she arrived from work around 9:10 a.m. Thomas is a night custodian in San Leandro, said her sister, Diane Hill.
"She (Thomas) noticed the door was open; she knew something was wrong," Hill said. She said her nephew had purchased a house for his mom, and they were in the process of moving.
"He was going to move his mom out because she worked so hard," she said. "They were going to move across town."
Oakland police Sgt. Phil Green said Murphy's mother left for work Wednesday around 11:30 p.m. Green said there were no calls of reported gunfire between that time and when the body was discovered.
Murphy's new, dark gray BMW 745i was parked in front of the beige-and-brown, two-story Victorian in the 2800 block of Myrtle Street, kitty-corner from McClymonds High School. Police had the car towed so it could be tested for forensic
evidence, Green said. A tangerine-colored Cadillac that Murphy also owned was parked across the street.
As news spread via cell phone, dozens of Murphy's friends gathered up and down the block. His mother and other family members formed a tight circle inside the yellow crime scene tape in front of the house.
He was doing good," said Kevin Keyes of East Oakland, who said he knew Murphy for about seven years. "He was a youngster, turned 26 last month. He had just started doing his real estate thing and being successful." Several people, including the mother of Murphy's 2-year-old daughter, speculated that
there was no sign of forced entry. Murphy was clothed and found dead in one of the rooms inside, Green said
Green said the house was practically bare, as most of the belongings had already been moved to the new home. There was no sign of a struggle or robbery, nor was any weapon found inside, he said.
He said police had yet to determine a motive. Investigators plan to gather fingerprints and other evidence from the car to figure out what Murphy was doing and who he was with in the hours before he was killed. They also want to determine exactly what the young man did for a living.
"Maybe he brought the person who killed him to the house," Green said.
Jazmine Jackson, 27, a childhood friend of Murphy's, said he was generous, friendly and "not into drugs."
"As you can see, he was loved by everybody," she said, referring to the clusters of friends gathered.
Hill said it is possible someone was jealous of her nephew's newfound success.
"It's like a bucket of crabs," Hill said. "Every time one person tries to rise up, they get pulled back down.
"We're asking for the community to come forth," she said. "It's time for this to stop."
This is Oakland's 20th homicide so far this year.
"She (Thomas) noticed the door was open; she knew something was wrong," Hill said. She said her nephew had purchased a house for his mom, and they were in the process of moving.
"He was going to move his mom out because she worked so hard," she said. "They were going to move across town."
Oakland police Sgt. Phil Green said Murphy's mother left for work Wednesday around 11:30 p.m. Green said there were no calls of reported gunfire between that time and when the body was discovered.
Murphy's new, dark gray BMW 745i was parked in front of the beige-and-brown, two-story Victorian in the 2800 block of Myrtle Street, kitty-corner from McClymonds High School. Police had the car towed so it could be tested for forensic
As news spread via cell phone, dozens of Murphy's friends gathered up and down the block. His mother and other family members formed a tight circle inside the yellow crime scene tape in front of the house.
He was doing good," said Kevin Keyes of East Oakland, who said he knew Murphy for about seven years. "He was a youngster, turned 26 last month. He had just started doing his real estate thing and being successful." Several people, including the mother of Murphy's 2-year-old daughter, speculated that
there was no sign of forced entry. Murphy was clothed and found dead in one of the rooms inside, Green said
Green said the house was practically bare, as most of the belongings had already been moved to the new home. There was no sign of a struggle or robbery, nor was any weapon found inside, he said.
He said police had yet to determine a motive. Investigators plan to gather fingerprints and other evidence from the car to figure out what Murphy was doing and who he was with in the hours before he was killed. They also want to determine exactly what the young man did for a living.
"Maybe he brought the person who killed him to the house," Green said.
Jazmine Jackson, 27, a childhood friend of Murphy's, said he was generous, friendly and "not into drugs."
"As you can see, he was loved by everybody," she said, referring to the clusters of friends gathered.
Hill said it is possible someone was jealous of her nephew's newfound success.
"It's like a bucket of crabs," Hill said. "Every time one person tries to rise up, they get pulled back down.
"We're asking for the community to come forth," she said. "It's time for this to stop."
This is Oakland's 20th homicide so far this year.