Murder of Seth Rich

Seth C. Rich was fatally shot on July 10, 2016, in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, D.C. He was a 27-year-old employee of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).[1][2]

Early life and career

Rich was a native of Omaha, Nebraska and a 2011 graduate of Creighton University, where he majored in history and political science.[3][1][4]

At the time of his death Rich was the Voter Expansion Data Director at the DNC, where he had been employed for two years and had helped develop a computer application that voters can use to locate polling stations.[5][6][2][3]

Death and aftermath

Rich was shot about a block from his home in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, D.C.[7][8][9][10] Police were alerted to gunfire at 4:20 am by an automated gunfire locator called ShotSpotter.[10][11] Rich was found conscious but later died in the hospital.[8] Newsweek reported that police stated that he may have been killed in an attempted robbery and that the neighborhood had recently been plagued by robberies. His watch strap was torn, but nothing had been taken.[7] According to Newsweek, "that was enough to fire up the right-wing Twitterverse with yet another round of Clinton conspiracy theories",[7] which later intensified after the offering of a reward made by Julian Assange of Wikileaks.[7] Rich's parents were "distressed" by the way that Rich's murder was apparently being politicized.[7] According to police, he died from multiple shots to the back.[7][9][12]

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued a statement mourning the loss and praising Rich's work "to protect the most sacred right we share as Americans — the right to vote".[11] Hillary Clinton spoke of this fatality during a speech advocating limiting the availability of guns.[2][4] Rich's parents and girlfriend appeared on Crime Watch Daily to speak about the murder case.[13][14] In October 2016, a plaque and bike rack outside the DNC headquarters were dedicated to Rich's memory.[15]

Rewards for information

A total of $145,000 in reward money is being offered for information. The Metropolitan Police Department posted its customary reward of $25,000 for information about the death.[2][16] WikiLeaks offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.[2] In September, Republican lobbyist Jack Burkman stated that he is offering $100,000 additional reward money.[17][18][19]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Morton, Joseph. "D.C. police, family of slain DNC staffer Seth Rich urge anyone with information about murder to come forward", Omaha World-Herald (August 4, 2016; Updated August 10, 2016).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Morton, Joseph. "WikiLeaks offers $20,000 reward for help finding Omaha native Seth Rich's killer", Omaha World-Herald (August 10, 2016; Updated August 11, 2016): "Rich had worked for the DNC for two years and helped develop a computer program to make it easier for people to find polling places on Election Day."
  3. 1 2 "Rich, Seth C.". Omaha World-Herald. July 13, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Hermann, Peter (July 12, 2016). "Hillary Clinton invokes name of slain DNC aide Seth Rich in calling for gun control". Washington Post.
  5. (August 11, 2016). DNC Employee Fatally Shot in DC. WUSA. Retrieved: September 2, 2016.
  6. Rojas, Warren (July 11, 2016). "DNC Staffer Killed in DC". Roll Call.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stein, Jeff (August 20, 2016). "Seth Rich: Inside the Killing of the DNC Staffer". Newsweek.
  8. 1 2 Khan, Mariam. DNC Employee Shot Dead in DC Over the Weekend, ABC News (11 July 2016).
  9. 1 2 (August 5, 2016). Mother, Police Seeking Tips on Killing of DNC Staffer Seth Rich. NBC Washington. Retrieved: August 22, 2016.
  10. 1 2 Shrier, Adam. "Democratic National Committee staffer killed in Washington, D.C. shooting", New York Daily News (July 11, 2016).
  11. 1 2 Hermann, Peter; Williams, Clarence (July 11, 2016). "Slain Democratic National Committee staffer 'wanted to make a difference'". Washington Post.
  12. "Is Julian Assange Exposing Innocent People to Persecution With Reckless Leaks?". The Nation. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  13. "Family of murdered DNC employee Seth Rich speaks out on 'Crime Watch'". KOMO. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  14. Kurzius, Rachel (October 3, 2016). "Murdered DNC Staffer's Mom: 'Seth Would Be So Offended' By Conspiracy Theories". DCist. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  15. Burdine, Nikki (October 17, 2016). "DNC honors murdered staffer Seth Rich". WUSA. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  16. "WikiLeaks offers reward for help finding DNC staffer's killer", Washington Post (10 August 2016).
  17. Stabley, Matthew. "GOP Lobbyist Offers $100K Reward for Information in Slaying of DNC Staffer", WRC-TV (September 14, 2016).
  18. Kutner, Max. "Seth Rich's Death: Why a GOP Lobbyist Will Pay $100,000 to Learn Who Killed the DNC Staffer", Newsweek (September 16, 2016).
  19. Byrnes, Jessie. "GOP lobbyist offers $100K reward for info in DNC staffer's death", The Hill (September 14, 2016).

Further reading

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