Rakiswende Nana, a 27-year-old man, was killed on Sunday, May 2, 2021, in the 2500 block of McHenry Street in Baltimore. He died of blunt force injuries. The Baltimore Police Department investigated, and the Baltimore Sun's homicide database lists his death as a homicide caused by blunt force.
The public record of what happened is thin. WMAR-2 News, in its daily tracker of the city's killings that month, logged the case at 8:28 a.m. that Sunday: "Rakiswende Nana, 27, was killed in the 2500 block of McHenry Street. Police said he suffered blunt force trauma to the head but didn't specify." Police identified him publicly a few days later. The Baltimore Witness reported on May 5, 2021, that "Rakiswende Nana, a 27-year-old black male, was killed on the 2500 block of McHenry Street on May 2," in a short item that named three people killed that day and the next.
A volunteer-run list of the year's Baltimore homicides described him only as a "Victim found with blunt force
trauma," and in the column for arrests it recorded "None." His name was later read aloud among the city's dead on WYPR's "Names of Baltimore's Fallen" and listed on memorial pages kept by local churches, but no obituary, family fundraiser or interview with relatives could be found.
That leaves almost everything else unknown. Police did not say what he was struck with, whether he was found indoors or outside, whether he died at the scene, or whether there were witnesses. They did not describe a suspect or a motive. It is not even clear from the public record whether the attack happened in the early hours of that morning or the night before, since the 8:28 a.m. entry may reflect when he was found rather than when he was hurt.
His name is uncommon in Baltimore, which means anyone who knew him, whether as a neighbor, coworker or friend, would likely recognize it at once. Someone who remembers him may also remember where he had been or whom he had been with in the days before he died.
The Sun's homicide map places the 2500 block of McHenry Street in the 21223 ZIP code, inside the city limits. On a Sunday morning, a neighbor leaving for church or work, or someone walking a dog, may have noticed something on the block in the hours before or after he was found.
After the unrest of 2015, Baltimore recorded more than 300 homicides a year for eight straight years, and the share of killings that ended in an arrest fell sharply.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Rakiswende Nana could be found in news archives or public records. More than five years later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was on or near the 2500 block of McHenry Street late on May 1 or early on May 2, 2021, or who knew Rakiswende Nana and heard anything about the attack, may be able to help detectives. Even a small detail, such as a name overheard, a vehicle seen nearby or a conversation remembered, can help detectives move a case forward. Anyone with information can call Baltimore Police homicide detectives at 410-396-2100, or leave an anonymous tip with Metro Crime Stoppers of Maryland at 1-866-7LOCKUP (1-866-756-2587).
