Donnell “Pop” Delbridge Jr., a 25-year-old Black man known for his bright smile and love for his family, was a cherished son, brother, and doting father. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 6, 1991, to Michelle Brown and Donnell Delbridge Sr., he was educated in the Baltimore City Public School System. Donnell had a special, unbreakable bond with his mother, who made a point to wish her prince a good morning every single day. He was the proud father of four children: a son, Damontre, and three daughters, Traniya, Honesty, and Dai'Honor. His greatest joy was sharing a birthday with his only son.
A passionate football player in his youth, Donnell earned a Heisman Trophy while playing for the Perry Hall Football League. As he grew older, he found a powerful outlet for self-expression through music and rapping, and was proud to have been featured in his first music video, "Drag," in 2016. He was remembered as a man who loved to spend time with his friends and family above all else. A hard worker from a young age, he held a job at KFC before later gaining employment with Monster Tech Heating and Cooling, where he was working at the time of his death.
On the cold winter night of Saturday, January 28, 2017, Donnell’s life was tragically cut short. At approximately 11:07 p.m., he was shot in the 3400 block of South Hanover Street in the Brooklyn-Curtis Bay neighborhood of South Baltimore. The circumstances that led to the shooting have never been publicly disclosed by authorities. Donnell was just 25 years old when he was killed.
His death was one of 342 homicides recorded in Baltimore that year, a grim period that set a new per-capita homicide record for the city. The investigation into the murder was handled by the Baltimore Police Department. However, in the years since Donnell was killed, there have been no public announcements regarding any persons of interest, suspects, or arrests in connection with the case. The investigation remains open but has yielded no publicly known breakthroughs, leaving his loved ones without answers.
Donnell was mourned by a large and loving family, including his parents, his fiancée Shakira, his four children, a stepdaughter, a godson, numerous sisters, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and a host of friends who knew him as "Pop." His obituary noted that he was preceded in death by both of his grandmothers and several close friends, a heartbreaking testament to the losses his community had already endured.
As of today, the murder of Donnell Delbridge Jr. remains unsolved, one of many cold cases that haunt families in Baltimore. The absence of resolution leaves a void for a family that remembers a loving father, a devoted son with a squeaky voice, and a man whose children were the primary focus of his time. The case stands as a painful reminder of the enduring violence that has taken too many lives and left countless questions in its wake. There is no publicly available information about any rewards offered for information in this case.
