Donald Farrell

Saturday, October 27, 2007 was the day of Rowan University's Homecoming. Thousands of students, alumni, and family members were present to take place in the festivities and watch the football game.
With that many people around, it was a day that the campus should have felt safe.

But around 9:15 that night, things had taken a turn for the worse. Donald Farrell, a 19-year-old sophomore at the university, was walking near the campus with some friends when they were confronted by a group of four or five men.

Authorities say Donald and his friends were walking from a nearby apartment complex to a convenience store on Route 322 when they were confronted by the group of men.

One of the men allegedly asked Donald where they could find a good party to go to. Before Donald had a chance to respond, he was brutally attacked.

The person of interest was caught on the video tape inside the store shortly before the attack happened.

The Loss Of A Promising Young Man

Police have released this composite sketch of a person of interest in Donald's death.

 

Authorities say the attack happened so quickly and so intensely that Donald's friends never even had a chance to try to help him.

Donald was struck twice in the head and once in the body before his wallet and cell phone were stolen and the group of men ran off.

As Donald lay on the ground bleeding, his friends called 9-1-1 and he was transported to the hospital. But despite the quick response of emergency services, Donald's injuries proved to be too severe, and he passed away on Sunday afternoon.

As his family and friends mourn the loss of such a promising young man, the police move forward with their investigation, determined to track down the men responsible for Donald's death.

The Search Is On

This photo is from surveillance video inside the convenience store near where Donald was killed.

Police have released a composite sketch of a person of interest in the case. The sketch is based on witness statements, and video surveillance from inside the convenience store the attack happened near. The person of interest was caught on the video tape inside the store shortly before the attack happened. Police believe the man may also answer to the nickname "Smoke". Witnesses also say they had seen the man near the scene prior to the incident. He was in a dark, late-model Honda, possibly a four-door Accord. He was with three women in the rear of the vehicle and another male in front.

Police believe that this man does know something about the attack that took place, but are referring to him only as a person of interest, not a suspect.

Authorities believe that with the large number of people that were on campus for the Homecoming celebrations, somebody must have seen this man and his group of friends at some point.