Christopher Maurice Harding was 19 when he was gunned down near a Temple Hills elementary school shortly before classes opened.
It happened about 8 a.m., Feb. 2, 2006, next to the Middle Valley Elementary School on the 5900 block of Rayburn Drive.
Prince George’s County police believe Harding knew his killers because witnesses said he got into the backseat of their car without a struggle. Several witnesses saw Harding jump from the parked vehicle and try to flee before he was mortally wounded with a shotgun.
Six years later, Harding’s death remains unsolved.
Police have released only a few details of the shooting.
The only description of the vehicle is a dark Nissan with tinted windows.
Harding lived on the 3400 block of Brinkley Road in Temple Hills, around a mile from where he was shot, and was on his way to a new job in Washington.
His mother told detectives that Harding had been acting nervous for a few days, but he was secretive, and she wasn’t always sure what he was up to, according to police.
Because the culprits used a shotgun, there is no forensic evidence to trace the weapon. The victim’s cellphone records, often a good source of information about a person’s associates, were unhelpful. Harding had a cellphone plan that limited his calls, and he hadn’t been using his phone.
Anyone with information on the case should call the Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS (8477). Police are offering a reward of up to $25,000.
