Ervin Franklin Pirtle Jr., 49, was found dead in Gary, Indiana in the early hours of a Sunday morning in June 2019. The Lake County coroner ruled the cause of death multiple gunshot wounds and classified the case as a homicide, prompting a police investigation. No arrests or suspects were publicly identified in the immediate aftermath, and authorities continued to seek information from the public.

Pirtle, known to friends and family as Frankie, was a U.S. Navy veteran who served during the Persian Gulf War. Funeral services were held on June 11, 2019, at Christian Valley Missionary Baptist Church in Gary, and he was buried at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

Anyone with information that could help bring those responsible to justice is asked to come forward.