Clinton Dunston

Clinton Dunston was a man whose life was defined by talent, hard work, and promise. Known as a standout scholar and gifted athlete at New Bedford High School in Massachusetts, he excelled on the football field and in the classroom, earning a spot on the honor roll. As a running back for the New Bedford High Whalers, he once scored four touchdowns in a single game. When his mother relocated to Maryland for a job, Clinton chose to remain in New Bedford, a testament to the life he was building there. He continued his football career at Central Connecticut State University, where he starred as a running back for the Blue Devils, becoming the school's second-highest all-time leading rusher by the time he graduated. Friends and family remembered him as a young father whose life was full of potential.

That bright future was extinguished in a burst of gunfire on the afternoon of October 5, 2004. At around 5:30 p.m., Clinton, who was 23 years old, was sitting in a parked blue Mazda outside 5 Morgan Terrace in New Bedford’s South Central neighborhood. Two men approached the vehicle and fired at least five shots, striking Clinton once in the head. The gunmen were seen fleeing on foot, heading north on South Sixth Street. The attack happened in broad daylight, shocking residents and sending children who were playing nearby scrambling for safety. Clinton was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital with life-threatening injuries and succumbed to his wounds the following day, October 6, 2004.

The investigation, led by the New Bedford Police Department and the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, immediately faced complex questions. The shooting occurred outside the home of brothers Aaron and Walter Adams, who were known to be connected to local gang-related violence. This led investigators and community members to question if Clinton, who had no serious criminal record, was the victim of a tragic case of mistaken identity. Aaron Adams had been shot twice himself in the months leading up to Clinton's murder. His brother, Walter, had been a witness in a previous murder trial, adding to the theory that the violence was targeted at the residence.

Detectives searched the scene on Morgan Terrace for evidence late into the night, but the case grew cold. While some police records noted that Clinton had a tattoo that one investigator believed was associated with a gang, those who knew him focused on his positive contributions and the family he was building. The murder was part of what law enforcement grimly referred to as "Bloody October," a month marked by a surge of shootings in New Bedford. Clinton’s death, followed by the fatal shooting of another man, Anderson Rosa, the very next day, left the community reeling from the relentless violence.

The loss was deeply felt by those who had mentored and supported Clinton. Pat and Heidi Walsh, whose sons played football with him, remembered Clinton as a respectful young man who had been a frequent guest in their home. For years, they had hosted weekly team dinners, creating a safe space for the players. They recalled Clinton's close relationship with the mother of his son and felt that for years, the discipline and camaraderie of football had saved his life by keeping him off the streets. His death, along with the murders of three other former teammates in a short span of time, was a devastating blow to the New Bedford football family.

Years have passed, but the murder of Clinton Dunston remains unsolved. His case is listed among the active cold cases being investigated by the Bristol County District Attorney's Office. No arrests have ever been made, and the two men who ran from the scene of the crime have never been publicly identified. The case stands as a painful reminder of a promising life cut short by senseless violence, leaving a family without a son and a father, and a community still waiting for answers and justice.

The New Bedford Police Department continues to ask that anyone with information about the shooting of Clinton Dunston contact their detective division at (508) 991-6320.