NAPLES, Fla. — It has been more than four days since 18-year-old Deshia Arthur was killed, and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office is sharing few details about the case. SWFL Crime Stoppers has offered a $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
"This is an unusual case in that we have a pool of people that are potential witnesses," said Trish Routte, manager of SWFL Crime Stoppers. "There were a lot of people at this party," she added.
Deshia Arthur, known to her friends as “DD,” was shot on Saturday as deputies responded to an unauthorized house party to disperse the crowd.
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While dozens of people were present at the time of the shooting, no arrests have been made.
"They're going to have trouble sleeping; they're going to have trouble thinking straight," said Eileen Wesley, CEO of Naples-based nonprofit Project HELP, which supports victims of violent crime. Wesley explained to Fox 4's Naples Community Correspondent, Mahmoud Bennett, why some witnesses might be reluctant to come forward.
"Maybe they saw the shooter, and they're afraid he might recognize them and come after them — that's fear. They're also trying to absorb the fact that somebody died, and they're not able to communicate, so they're having trouble speaking out," Wesley explained.
Meanwhile, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office has stopped answering specific questions about DD's murder.
On Tuesday, Fox 4 asked if any suspects had been arrested, and the answer was no. When Fox 4 followed up on Wednesday morning, the department responded, saying, "Due to the active nature of this investigation, we have provided all of the information that is releasable at this time."
SWFL Crime Stoppers is urging the community to come forward with any information about the murder of 18-year-old Deshia Arthur. The organization emphasized that solving this case will require the help of witnesses.
"At the end of the day, we need to all do whatever it is that we can to make sure that there's an arrest and justice for DD," said Routte.
Routte encouraged anyone who saw what happened or has relevant videos to provide information, noting that tips can be submitted anonymously through their app.
"If this happened to you, you would want someone to step up for you," Routte explained. "This is the time. If you're a friend of DD's, this is the time to step up for her."
