It's been three years since his murder.
By Samantha Maffucci — Written on Apr 15, 2019
Just like any unsolved murder, the families of the victims are left without answers or closure. And though detectives dedicate themselves to endless work to find the culprit, sometimes, it takes years before there are any leads. And such is the case with Brian Bole.
Who is Brian Bole? In April 2016, 30-year-old Bole was walking home and was shot dead near his Oakland home. The former NASA scientist and health data scientist at the time of his death, was shot while walking home from the Kingfish Pub & Cafe, about two miles from where he lived. He moved to the area a few years prior to his murder.
Neighbors say they heard gunshots, ran outside, and saw Bole on the ground. “He was clearly gone, he had a gunshot wound in his forehead... Did somebody come and kind of search out an opportunity to rob someone, or are they living in our neighborhood and watching people come and go and know where to strike?” one neighbor said.
But according to neighbors, his wallet wasn’t stolen; however, the neighbor who found him said he had an earbud in, but it wasn’t attached to a phone.
Police haven’t ruled out the possibility that it was a robbery gone wrong. In the three years since the murder, they have interviewed dozens of people, and the FBI has offered $30,000 in reward money for information leading to the killer’s arrest.
Investigators also released a surveillance video of a man wearing a reflective coat near the crime scene. They also released images of two persons of interests, and a vehicle of interest, both from the surveillance video.
The first person of interest is a black male, wearing a light blue shirt with a horizontal stripe, and a light blue baseball hat. The second suspect, whose gender and race are unknown, has a thin build and was wearing a black and white printed sweater, also holding an umbrella. The car is a 2013-2015 white Chevy Malibu.
Sgt. Leo Sanchez reminded the public, “We don’t want the community to forget about this case. It is still a very active investigation. I urge those responsible to contact the police department and provide your story. We are going to identify you and hold you accountable. We want to bring peace and closure to (Bole’s) family.”
But Bole was more than just a scientist; he was a son, husband, and brother. According to his family, he earned a degree in mathematics and a doctorate in electrical engineering. He had a NASA fellowship at Ames Research Center, and specialized in fault analysis.
However, his “true passion was health care,” and in 2015, he took his dream job as a data scientist. In addition to his intelligence, he loved hiking and camping, and “spent many hours exploring San Francisco and Oakland, especially their ethnic restaurants and craft brew pubs.”
We certainly hope Bole’s killer or killers are brought to justice, and his family can finally get the closure they deserve.
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.