PHILADELPHIA (August 21, 2024) — District Attorney Larry Krasner and members of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Homicide and Non-Fatal Shootings Unit announced on Wednesday that a Philadelphia jury convicted Damir Richardson (DOB 6/23/98) of First Degree Murder (H1) and Possession of an Instrument of Crime (M1) for fatally shooting 17-year-old Carissa Bright on January 14, 2022 in the city’s Germantown section.
Bright’s murder occurred on the 6500 block of Ross Street, when surveillance video obtained by investigators showed Richardson’s Honda Odyssey pull up alongside the vehicle in which Bright was seated in the backseat. The defendant then opened fire on the vehicle multiple times, striking her in the head and chest. Richardson then sped away from the scene.
Following the murder, Philadelphia Police Homicide Detectives contacted the surviving teenaged witnesses, but all of them were uncooperative. Investigators believe that Bright’s boyfriend, who was seated next to her at the time of the shooting, was the intended target.
Police were able to link Richardson to the shooting through two 9mm fired cartridge casings (FCCs) found at the scene that matched another FCC that was lodged in the windshield of the defendant’s vehicle, cell site location analysis that placed him in the vicinity of the crime scene, and the aforementioned surveillance video. The defendant’s DNA was also found on the steering wheel of the vehicle used in the shooting.
Several hours after killing Carissa Bright, the defendant drove to Gloucester Township, New Jersey, and opened fire on a residence in which his ex-girlfriend resided. No one inside was injured, however. Investigators from the Gloucester Police Department, in collaboration with the Philadelphia Police Department, later determined that the fired cartridge casings from the Gloucester shooting matched those recovered from the Germantown crime scene. Cell site location analysis also linked Richardson to the Gloucester shooting
Richardson was eventually arrested on July 23, 2022, after being extradited from California, where he had fled following the two shootings. Immediately following the jury’s verdict which was delivered on August 1, 2024, the Hon. Diana Anhalt sentenced him to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
“Thanks to Assistant District Attorney Lauren Crump of our Homicide and Non-Fatal Shootings Unit for her skillful prosecution of this case,” said DA Krasner. “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.”
“I thank Philadelphia Police Detectives John Maha, Thorsten Lucke, and Gloucester Police Detective Marc Grodzielanek for conducting such a thorough investigation,” said ADA Crump. “I’m also glad that this collaboration with our law enforcement partners helped build a strong case so that we could deliver justice for Carissa Bright’s loved ones and friends.”
CONTACT:
Dustin Slaughter, [email protected]
The photographs below are provided by the family of Carissa Bright for use by the news media.
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million residents of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for the prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually. Learn more about the DAO by visiting PhillyDA.org.