Traykia Jones was just 16 years old when her life ended.
A student at Annapolis High School, Traykia was described as a popular girl with a beautiful smile, who loved babysitting kids.
"Not many folks that I spoke to or read via statements had a bad word to say about her," said Annapolis Police Department Cold Case Detective William Noel.
But it would appear someone had a score to settle.
Traykia was shot in the head, apparently in her sleep, in the middle of the night on May 11th, 2004.
The gun was never recovered, and police haven't made any arrests.
Something Noel is working to change.
"You investigate, you remain diligent about the things that are presented to you, and you really aren't in a position to stop for the families," he says. "The families don't have that victim coming home to them, so I don't have the luxury of getting tired or quitting."
A letter from a community member in 2020 prompted Noel to take a closer look at this case.
"It didn't sit right with them that this case hadn't either garnered attention, no suspects had been found, so they wrote a letter," he says.
Traykia was last at a neighbor's apartment. Her mother struggled with addiction at the time, and the neighbor let the teen hang out, do laundry, and stay at the apartment.
"Speaking to Traykia Jones' mother, she had informed me that at the time of that homicide, she was dealing with some substance abuse issues, and she readily admitted that she wasn't, in her words, a fit parent for Traykia," says Noel. "So she gave this lady permission to give Traykia shelter, a place to stay, do our laundry, something to eat, and on this evening, that's where Traykia was."
Noel adds there are two persons of interest/suspects in this case, though they aren't able to release specifics.
"The area was canvassed," he says about the investigation, "and multiple people came forward to provide accounts indicating that those two persons of interest not only had seen Miss Jones before she passed, but had- at least one of them had close contact with her within a half hour of police being called."
As for a motive, Noel says investigators believe it might have been revenge.
"I think there's information to believe that again, with somebody knowing who she is and their relationship to her, I think there was a conflict between her and another person, and this person sought to kind of avenge what they feel was a wrong Traykia had done to them," he says.
Police need more though to really close this case.
If you were on Obery Court between the night of May 10th and morning of May 11th, 2004, you're asked to share whatever details you heard or remember.
Unfortunately, Police didn't have a photo of Traykia Jones from when she was alive to share with us. If you knew her and have a photo to share, please reach out to us at storyideas@wmar.com
If you have any information to share with police to help solve the murder of Traykia Jones, please call the Annapolis Police Department at 410-268-9000 and ask for the Cold Case Unit.
