Kristian D. Philpotts was 29 when he was shot and killed in Urbana, Illinois, on January 12, 2022. Working as a Lyft driver while saving for veterinary school at the University of Illinois, he picked up three teenagers that night: Tyjohn Williams, Na’Shown Fenderson, and Jahiem Dyer. He was found without a pulse and later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Investigators say the trio had planned to rob the driver. Fenderson discarded the murder weapon on a nearby roof and was arrested the same night along with Dyer; Williams fled to Georgia and was captured two months later. Fenderson and Dyer pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, testified against Williams, and received probation. Williams was later tried and convicted of first-degree murder. Philpotts’ mother, Marla Rice, filed a lawsuit that resulted in a court ruling in her favor and a settlement.

Does anyone have details about Philpotts’ life in Urbana or knew him from school or work who can help remember him or shed light on the case?