Manchester, NH - A former Central High School soccer player was tragically murdered in Derryfield Park, a prominent park on the city’s North End. His body was discovered behind a playground area at the park.
This is the second homicide to occur in a Manchester park in less than a month.
The young man died of blunt force trauma to his head when he was allegedly beaten and kicked by two men. The individual was rushed to the hospital from Victory Park, but he succumbed to his injuries. Police have made two arrests for assault in the case, but no one has been specifically charged with the death.
In a recent Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce debate, Mayor Joyce Craig continued to double down on her assertions that crime is down in Manchester. She pushed back against Victoria Sullivan’s concerns about the safety of our streets, parks, schools, and trails, with Joyce at one point angrily rebutting, “the city is safe.”
“My heart breaks for the family of the young man who was recently found murdered in the North End’s Derryfield Park near a playground. My prayers go out to his family, his friends, and the Congolese community during this difficult time.
“The reality is that we cannot continue to have a mayor who turns a blind eye to the dangerous crimes that are spiking in our city. Mayor Craig can spin the data and say ‘the city is safe’ until she’s blue in the face, but it doesn’t make it accurate. It doesn’t solve the serious challenges we are facing. Like so many, I am fed up with the violence on our streets and in our parks, schools, and trails. We must demand a better Manchester before it is too late.”
