Seth Conrad Rich (January 3, 1989 – July 10, 2016) was fatally shot in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, D.C. He was a 27-year-old employee of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).[1][2][3]
Early life and career
Rich grew up in Omaha, Nebraska in a Jewish family.[4] In 2011 he graduated from Creighton University where he majored in history and political science.[5][1][6]
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 worked on a computer application to help voters locate polling stations.[7][8][2][5]
Death and aftermath
Rich was shot about a block from his home in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, D.C.[9][10][11][12] Police were alerted to gunfire at 4:20 am by an automated gunfire locator called ShotSpotter.[12][13] Rich was found conscious but later died in the hospital.[10] Newsweek reported that police stated he may have been killed in an attempted robbery and that the neighborhood had recently been plagued by robberies. Although Rich's watch strap was torn, nothing had apparently been taken from him.[9] According to police, he died from two shots to the back.[9][11][14] Rich's girlfriend told NBC Washington, "There had been a struggle. His hands were bruised, his knees are bruised, his face is bruised, and yet he had two shots to his back, and yet they never took anything...They didn't finish robbing him, they just took his life."[15]
Newsweek reported that the murder stoked right wing "Clinton conspiracy theories" and that Rich's parents were "distressed" by the politicization of his murder.[9] 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."[13] Hillary Clinton spoke of this fatality during a speech advocating limiting the availability of guns.[2][6] Rich's parents and girlfriend appeared on Crime Watch Daily to speak about the murder case.[16][17] In October 2016, a plaque and bike rack outside the DNC headquarters were dedicated to Rich's memory.[18]
Rewards for information
The Metropolitan Police Department posted its customary reward of $25,000 for information about the death.[2] In August, WikiLeaks offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.[2][19] A total of more than $150,000 in reward money is being offered for information, the largest murder reward in the history of Washington D.C.[20][21]
See also
References
- ^ a b 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).
- ^ a b c d e 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."
- ^ Kamp-Wright, Annette van de (July 20, 2016). "Seth Conrad Rich". The Jewish Press. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ Feldman, Ari (July 11, 2016). "Promising Jewish Democratic National Committee Staffer Shot Dead on Own Washington D.C. Block". Forward.com. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ a b "Rich, Seth C." Omaha World-Herald. July 13, 2016.
- ^ a b Hermann, Peter (July 12, 2016). "Hillary Clinton invokes name of slain DNC aide Seth Rich in calling for gun control". Washington Post.
- ^ (August 11, 2016). DNC Employee Fatally Shot in DC. WUSA. Retrieved: September 2, 2016.
- ^ Rojas, Warren (July 11, 2016). "DNC Staffer Killed in DC". Roll Call.
- ^ a b c d Stein, Jeff (August 20, 2016). "Seth Rich: Inside the Killing of the DNC Staffer". Newsweek.
- ^ a b Khan, Mariam. DNC Employee Shot Dead in DC Over the Weekend, ABC News (11 July 2016).
- ^ a b (August 5, 2016). Mother, Police Seeking Tips on Killing of DNC Staffer Seth Rich. NBC Washington. Retrieved: August 22, 2016.
- ^ a b Shrier, Adam. "Democratic National Committee staffer killed in Washington, D.C. shooting", New York Daily News (July 11, 2016).
- ^ a b Hermann, Peter; Williams, Clarence (July 11, 2016). "Slain Democratic National Committee staffer 'wanted to make a difference'". Washington Post.
- ^ "Is Julian Assange Exposing Innocent People to Persecution With Reckless Leaks?". The Nation. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- ^ Collins, Pat; Swalec, Andrea (July 11, 2016). "27-Year-Old DNC Staffer Seth Rich Shot, Killed in Northwest DC". NBC Washington.
- ^ "Family of murdered DNC employee Seth Rich speaks out on 'Crime Watch'". KOMO. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ Kurzius, Rachel (October 3, 2016). "Murdered DNC Staffer's Mom: 'Seth Would Be So Offended' By Conspiracy Theories". DCist. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
- ^ Burdine, Nikki (October 17, 2016). "DNC honors murdered staffer Seth Rich". WUSA. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ "WikiLeaks offers reward for help finding DNC staffer's killer", Washington Post (10 August 2016).
- ^ "GOP lobbyist adds $5K to reward for info on murder of former DNC staffer Seth Rich", WJLA-TV (December 5, 2016).
- ^ Roig-Franzia, Manuel. "Seth Rich wasn’t just another D.C. murder victim. He was a meme in the weirdest presidential election of our times", The Washington Post (January 18, 2017).
Further reading
- Abraham, Rabbi Steven (July 22, 2016). "In Memoriam: Seth Conrad Rich". The Jewish Press. Eulogy given by Rabbi Steven Abraham of Beth El Synagogue at the service on July 13, 2016.
- Harris, Chris (July 13, 2016). "Friends of Slain DNC Staffer Seth Rich Remember Him as 'Honest' and 'Self-Sacrificing'". People.