Nearly three years after a 13-year-old seventh grader was gunned down in the parking lot of a South Lebanon Township apartment building, new details of the unsolved crime have been released for the first time by Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf.
The crime
On the evening of Feb. 15, 2022, Jason Rivera, a seventh-grader at Lebanon Middle School, was shot multiple times in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 3rd and Vine streets in South Lebanon Township. Jason was alive when found, but died hours later at Hershey Medical Center.
Investigators could not locate eyewitnesses or surveillance video.
At a press conference two days later, Hess Graf said that Jason appeared to have been targeted, but gave few details about the shooting, possible motives, or any leads or suspects investigators may have developed. Hess Graf did not take questions.
Until Jan. 13, no additional details had been released by prosecutors or police.
Read More: Murder of 13-year-old in South Lebanon Township still unsolved 9 months later
New details released
In a Jan. 13 media release, Hess Graf revealed previously undisclosed details of the crime.
“The investigation into Jason’s murder commenced immediately, ” she said. “Police interviewed Jason’s family and all known witnesses. No witnesses came forward with a name for the suspect or information that led to arrest. Police scoured the local neighborhood for video of the homicide to no avail. Police collected twelve (12) 9 mm shell cases from the crime scene – meaning Jason’s killer fired at least twelve (12) shots that night.
“Police searched the uncle’s apartment where Jason resided. Police located narcotics and paraphernalia for the packaging and dealing of narcotics. Police located narcotics in Jason’s room. A search of the uncle’s vehicle, which Jason accessed via the driver’s side door moments before his death, revealed more narcotics and paraphernalia. The uncle was ultimately charged and convicted of drug dealing from his apartment based on the evidence located. The belief is Jason’s murder is somehow drug related and/or motivated. One remaining question is whether Jason was the intended target or whether his assailant mistook Jason for his uncle at the time shots were fired.”
Hess Graf identified Jason’s uncle as Jose “Cooch” Colon. Court records indicate that Colon was charged in Lebanon County with felony possession with intent to deliver narcotics and a misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia charge. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Judge Charles Jones to 6 to 23 months in prison on Jan. 30, 2023.
Murder weapon tied to two Maryland crimes
Hess Graf noted that the 12 shell casings and an unspecified number of fired slugs found at the crime scene were initially no help in solving the killing. “This changed with the results of Firearm and Tool Mark examination results – i.e. ballistic test results,” she said
The recovered shell casings and projectiles were sent to the Pennsylvania State Police crime lab, and analysis revealed that “all the cases and projectiles were produced by the same, missing firearm.”
PSP’s results were entered into the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network database, and investigators got their first break.
According to Hess Graf, “the gun which killed Jason Rivera later flagged in the NIBIN system. Police learned that same gun was used twice in Prince George’s County, Maryland.”
“The first instance pre-dated Jason’s shooting. It involved a drive-by shooting of a residence with no injuries and no arrests. The cases found from that crime scene matched the cases found with Jason’s body. The same gun fired the bullets in both instances,” she said.
“The second match, also in Prince George’s County, Maryland, occurred after Jason’s murder. Prince George’s County Police stopped the vehicle of an adult male, D Andre Courtez Wint. A search of his vehicle revealed narcotics and a firearm – a Glock 26 9 mm. The firearm is not registered to Wint. Ballistic testing in Maryland revealed the firearm located that evening to be the murder weapon used on Jason Rivera.”
The DA said progress has ended there. “Police have attempted to find connections between Wint and Lebanon County, the victim, and/or the victim’s family. To date, none were established. No additional witnesses came forward and no additional evidence has been located. The investigation is again at a roadblock.”
Reports in local Maryland and District of Columbia media say that Wint was one of two men murdered on May 26, 2024, in a Montgomery County, Maryland, shooting. Hess Graf did not say whether Maryland or Pennsylvania authorities were able to interview Wint in connection with Jason’s murder.
Law enforcement seeks public’s help
South Lebanon Township police and the District Attorney are turning to the public for anything that may unlock the case and lead them to Jason’s killer.
“Since the date of Jason’s murder, our Office and the South Lebanon Police Department actively hunted Jason’s killer. We’ve come as far as we can without more information,” Hess Graf said.
On Monday afternoon, Hess Graf told LebTown that “the link between the gun, Baltimore, the man who had it, and Jason is our biggest hurdle right now. We can’t establish any connection through anyone involved. That is the thing we are hoping the public can help with, more than anything.”
“Someone out there knows who killed this child. Someone out there knows why the killer pulled the trigger – twelve (12) separate times. Someone out there knows and is preventing Jason’s family from the peace they deserve. We cannot bring Jason back, but we can bring justice for those who loved him. Please come forward, please tell us what you know, and please help us solve this heinous crime.”
Know anything that might help find Jason’s killer?
Anyone with information about Jason Rivera’s killing, the firearm used in the shooting, or a connection between Jason’s killing and D’Andre Wint is urged to call the Lebanon County Detective Bureau at 717-228-4403, South Lebanon police at 717-274-0481, or Lebanon County Crimestoppers at 717-270-9800.
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