Almost exactly one year ago, a normally-jaded San Francisco was stunned by the news of a man shot to death on Gough Street. Daniel Price was escorting his wife home from a Christmas party, a few days before they were scheduled to go home for the holidays to New Orleans. Price was a 28-year-old up-and-coming artist who was just beginning his career, and his wife had just passed the California bar the month before. They had just gotten married about six months earlier, and had known each other since high school. They were in a cab together, making two stops; his wife was getting out at home and Price was heading out to another party.
As his wife got out of the car, she was accosted by a man trying to break into their house on the front doorstep. Price jumped out of the cab to help her, and the man shot him point-blank in the head. As Price lay dying, the man unsuccessfully attempted to carjack another car, and then ran off.
Despite the fact that Price's wife gave a detailed description of the killer to the police, there was a videotape from the cab, and the police received numerous tips from the community, the investigation has since been stalled, and a year later, no arrests have been made.
Price's family has created a memorial fund to endow a scholarship in his name at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts to support other young artists. Meanwhile, the police are still looking for a tall African-American male in his late 20s or 30s, who had hair up about 4 inches above his head and two inches out as of last year. Anyone with information about the case can call the police homicide unit at (415) 553-1145, and the anonymous tip line is (415) 553-9755.
Self-portrait by Daniel Price, from the Daniel Price memorial fund. This correspondent is acquainted with Daniel's wife.