Man charged in killing of Philadelphia journalist charged in separate shooting
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Freelance journalist Josh Kruger. Photo: joshkruger.com
The man accused of killing Philadelphia journalist Josh Kruger is suspected of being involved in a separate shooting at a transit station one week before the homicide, according to police records obtained by Axios.
Driving the news: Robert Davis, 19, who is charged with murder in Kruger's death, also faces charges of aggravated assault and weapons offenses after police say he opened fire on a man at the SEPTA Tasker-Morris Station on Sept. 25, per a probable cause affidavit.
- Police issued an updated alert the next day after recovering surveillance footage giving them a "good" glimpse of the suspected shooter boarding a bus at 56th and Market streets.
- A SEPTA police detective wrote that a photo included in an Oct. 6 warrant that charged Davis with Kruger's murder "strongly resembled" the man who was shown on surveillance video, per the records.
- The shooting victim, who wasn't injured, also picked Davis out of a photo lineup.
Context: SEPTA police recovered a .40-caliber shell casing from the shooting at the Tasker-Morris Station — the same caliber of weapon casings that Philadelphia police say were recovered from Kruger's Point Breeze home, per the records.
Catch up fast: Kruger was found collapsed outside his home early Oct. 2, suffering from several gunshot wounds to the torso.
- The door to Kruger's home was open, and police found several shell casings and a bloody trail inside the home, per the probable cause affidavit.
The big picture: The slain journalist and former city communications director's work appeared in several local publications, and he covered topics that included local politics, the LGBTQ+ community and people living in poverty.
- He talked publicly about his experiences as an openly gay man living with HIV and his past struggles with homelessness and addiction.
Details: Police used text messages, footage from Kruger's home surveillance system and a booking photo from a previous arrest that depicted a "fear" tattoo on Davis' arm to help identify him as the suspected killer.
- They also received a tip from a neighbor who saw a man being let into Kruger's home and leaving minutes after the shooting, per the affidavit.
- Police say recovered messages between Kruger and Davis showed they were involved in an "intimate/sexual relationship."
- Kruger also believed that Davis had broken his window and doorbell camera and stolen firearms from his home that weren't reported missing to police, per the affidavit.
Zoom in: Police discovered a voicemail on Kruger's phone from a number that one of Davis' relatives later confirmed belonged to Davis. The voicemail recording captured a conversation that police believe was between Kruger and Davis, per the affidavit.
- In it, Kruger is heard opening the front door and telling Davis he was asleep. Davis tells Kruger that he left his "Raw" rolling papers upstairs.
- Kruger responds, "Get your sh-t and get out of here," and, "I'm tired of your sh-t. I'm tired of you being mean to me" before the voicemail ends.
When police raided Davis' home Oct. 6, they found a loaded .40-caliber Smith & Wesson firearm inside a bedroom where they also discovered mail belonging to Davis, along with his wallet.
Of note: Police initially suspected another person may have been responsible for Kruger's murder after receiving information from one of his former colleagues about someone with whom the journalist had been having problems.
Yes, but: Police wrote that they discovered "exculpatory evidence" that helped them eliminate that person as a suspect.
The other side: The Defender Association of Philadelphia, which is representing Davis, didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.