Eddie Ivey (spelled Ivy in some sources) was a forty-six-year-old resident of Tampa, Florida. On Wednesday, November 12th, 2008, Eddie had been at his mother’s home. At some point that day or evening, he left and began walking back toward his own residence on North Florida Avenue. There is nothing in the publicly available account to suggest that he expected trouble or knew that he was about to be confronted.
Somewhere around North Lamar Avenue and East Fairbanks Street, that changed.
According to Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay, a newer-model silver two-door automobile approached the area. Two men exited the car and began chasing Eddie.
Crime Stoppers described both men as white males, although investigators believed they might have been Hispanic. Their ages, heights, clothing and other identifying characteristics have not been included in the currently available public description.
Eddie apparently tried to get away, but his attackers caught him. They robbed him of personal property and then beat him with extreme violence. The Crime Stoppers account states that Eddie was killed primarily by being stomped in the head. The two attackers then returned to the silver vehicle, where a third individual was waiting behind the wheel, and the group fled. Eddie was found lying dead in the roadway a short time later.
Authorities were uncertain as to the motive for the attack. The fact that property was taken would seem to suggest that the encounter may have been a robbery that escalated into a vicious homicide. But the degree of violence raised additional questions. If the only goal was to steal Eddie’s belongings, why continue attacking him after he was incapacitated? Did the attackers know him? Had something happened earlier that evening? Was Eddie chosen randomly because he happened to be walking alone, or had the occupants of the silver car been looking specifically for him?
Despite a thorough investigation, the case eventually went cold. Today, the City of Tampa continues to maintain Eddie’s case on its official list of unsolved homicides. Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay likewise continues to publicize the case and offers a reward of up to $3,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible.
Nearly eighteen years later, neither Eddie Ivey’s killers or the motive for the murder have been found.
Crime Immemorial 