We have previously noted how the Philadelphia media have been all over the story of the murder of freelance journalist Josh Kruger in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Police Department now have an arrest warrant for 19-year-old Robert Edmond Davis, charging him with murder and other crimes. Mr Davis was not in custody when the Police Department made the announcement, but one obvious point: if the police have not yet arrested Mr Davis, yet they have a mug shot of him, he has been arrested on other charges previously. It turns out that he was, to use the euphemism, “known to the police.”

And while Mr Davis mugshot is all over social media now, The Philadelphia Inquirer, declined to publish Mr Davis’ mugshot.

Police are searching for a 19-year-old man they believe killed Josh Kruger

Police are searching for Robert Davis, who they believe shot Kruger to death early Monday.

by Ellie Rushing | Friday, October 6, 2023 | 1:33 PM EDT | Updated: 2:52 PM EDT

Philadelphia police have issued an arrest warrant for a 19-year-old man they believe killed Josh Kruger, the local journalist fatally shot in his home earlier this week, officials said Friday.

Police are searching for Robert Davis, who investigators believe was an acquaintance of Kruger’s before he allegedly shot him multiple times Monday morning inside his Point Breeze home. The warrant includes charges for murder and related crimes, police said. Davis remains at large.

Lt. Hamilton Marshmond of the Homicide Unit said Kruger, 39, had been trying to help Davis, who was facing various troubles including homelessness.

“He was just trying to help him get through life,” Marshmond said.

We are, of course, not surprised in the least that the Inky did not publish Mr Davis’ mugshot, even if there was a possibility that such would help the police apprehend him more rapidly. After all, the Inquirer itself told us that, to meet publisher Elizabeth ‘Lisa’ Hughes’ requirement that it become an “anti-racist news organization,” the newspaper would censor the news, saying that the newspaper would be review its crime reporting practices.

Marshmond said Davis was known to police and had been arrested before, but declined to elaborate on officers’ earlier interactions with him. Court records show that Davis was arrested in August and charged with criminal trespassing and mischief, but the District Attorney’s Office withdrew the charges at a preliminary hearing the following month.

First Assistant District Attorney Robert Listenbee said at a news conference that he was not aware of the circumstances of Davis’ previous arrest and couldn’t comment on the case.

Under Pennsylvania Title 18 §3304, there is a wide range in grading for criminal mischief, dependent chiefly on how much damage was caused. If the crime destroys property worth more than $5,000, it is a third-degree felony, all the way down to being a summary offense. Until we know what grading was charged, we do not know whether Mr Davis could have been behind bars last Monday.

Mr Kruger lived at 2346 Watkins Street in the Point Breeze neighborhood, a 1,020 ft², updated rowhome valued at $204,900 by Zillow’s guesstimate, where a rowhome which had not been updated sold just a year ago for $93,000. The neighborhood isn’t the worst in Philly, but it’s hardly the best.

One law enforcement source, who requested anonymity to discuss the investigation, said detectives believe the killing was domestic in nature, and said Kruger and Davis had previously been in a relationship. And the person of interest police had identified earlier this week — a man who friends said had broken into Kruger’s home before — ended up being cleared, and additional evidence ultimately led detectives to Davis.

Point Breeze isn’t the safest neighborhood in the City of Brotherly Love, but there had been several crimes at Mr Kruger’s residence recently. Not only was there a man who had previouslybroken into the place, but Mr Kruger reported vandalism as well on his Twitter account.

And now we get to the tribute section of reporter Ellie Rushing’s story:

Kruger’s death left many in the city heartbroken. He was a revered advocate for people experiencing homeless and addiction — hardships he had faced in his life. He worked as a spokesperson in the City’s Office of Homeless Services before returning to freelance journalism in recent years.

An openly queer and HIV-positive journalist, he wrote for multiple news outlets, including The Inquirer, weighing in on issues affecting the LGBTQ community, harm reduction services, and city and state politics.

“Josh deserved to write the ending of his personal story,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement.

Yup, the connected white boy in Philly gets all of the media tributes! The black men and women murdered in the city? Not so much.