Marquis Dixon was standing outside talking on the phone in the 2800 block of Eric Court shortly before 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 29, 2007, when he was shot several times and collapsed in Chesapeake's Deep Creek section. Nineteen years later, no one has ever been arrested, and investigators are once again asking the public for help cracking the case.
A Deadly Night in Deep Creek
According to the City of Chesapeake, a witness looked out a window after hearing a gunshot and saw Dixon fall to the ground. An unknown assailant then fired several more shots at him from close range before fleeing on foot. As the gunman ran, he fired another shot toward 2821 Erick Court, the home where Dixon had been staying, the city says.
Dixon was rushed to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he died, as reported by pilotonline.com. That same account notes that witnesses told police they heard arguing just before the shots rang out, though the motive for the shooting was described as unknown at the time. The only item found near Dixon was a knife, the city's case page states, though no connection between the knife and the shooting has been established.
A Description, but No Name
Police have described the shooter only as a Black male with short hair, wearing all dark clothing. A separate witness reported seeing a Black male with either cornrows or short dreadlocks fleeing the scene after hearing several gunshots, per the city's account. Those two descriptions have never led to an identification, and the case remains unsolved nearly two decades later.
Chesapeake is offering a $5,000 cash reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case, and tipsters may remain anonymous. People with information are encouraged to call the Chesapeake Crime Line at 1-888-562-5887, also listed as 1-888-LOCK-U-UP. The tip can be submitted by phone without giving a name, according to the city.
Part of a Citywide Cold-Case Push
Dixon's case is one of several Chesapeake is spotlighting as part of a broader effort to crack cold cases. The Chesapeake Crime Line has launched a campaign to highlight a new cold case every week on social media in hopes of generating fresh leads, WAVY.com reports, with the weekly features focusing on the most recent cases first. Dixon is one of seven Chesapeake victims featured on Hampton Roads Crime Line cold-case playing cards, alongside Nathaniel Huggins and Benjamin Owens, according to the same report.
Other cases highlighted through the campaign include the May 2019 shooting death of Jarmel Perkins in the 2000 block of Plow Lane, and the 2004 killing of 42-year-old Leanne Hendrickson, whose family said she was murdered at her place of business. Chesapeake's cold-case homicide investigations are handled by the department's Crimes Against Persons Squad, which is staffed by nine detectives experienced in investigating homicides, according to the Chesapeake Police Department.
The $5,000 reward now attached to Dixon's case reflects a boost from an earlier $1,500 figure, after members of the police department, the Commonwealth's Attorney Office and the Chesapeake Crime Line worked together to raise it, per the station's report. Accounts of just how many unsolved cases remain on the city's books have varied, with Chesapeake officials describing the backlog in different terms at different times. For now, Dixon's family and investigators are left waiting for the one tip that could finally close a case that has sat open since the summer of 2007.
