Ricardo Lara, 29 and living in Chico, California, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of May 31, 2009, outside a party at the Delta Psi Delta fraternity house on Hazel Street. The fraternity was not officially recognized by Chico State University. Investigators say unknown individuals gunned Lara down while he attended the social event.

The Chico Police Department treated the case as a homicide investigation priority and assigned Detective Mike Rodden from the gang unit and his partner Detective Paul Ratto to lead the probe. Detectives considered possible gang ties as a motive even though Lara was not known to be a documented gang member. Witness reluctance to cooperate — attributed to fear or adherence to gang codes — has been cited as a major impediment to solving the case.

The murder occurred during a period of several homicides in Chico and strained department resources complicated the investigation. If anyone attended that party or has information about what happened that night, please share what is known with investigators.