Young minister's homicide still unsolved
Jun. 3—HIGH POINT — When 25-year-old minister Robert Booth was fatally shot outside his south High Point condominium in late May 2021, his parents expressed apprehension about his homicide at some point becoming a cold case.
As the calendar turns into the third year of Booth's case being unsolved, his mother, Deneka, and father, Rodney, say their reservations have been realized. Each day that passes since Robert Booth was killed reduces the chance that someone will be brought to justice, said Booth's parents, who live in Winder, Georgia.
The High Point Police Department said in a statement that detectives continue to investigate the Booth homicide.
"At this time, detectives do not have an update on this case," the statement said. "Anyone with information is encouraged to reach out to Crime Stoppers of High Point."
Booth was shot to death the evening of May 25, 2021, in the parking lot of Eastgate Village Condominiums on Ardale Drive. At the time police said they were seeking a maroon-colored SUV, possibly a Nissan Rogue.
The Booths keep in touch with police about the investigation. Deneka Booth called detectives on May 25 — the anniversary of her son's death.
Deneka Booth said that detectives may have an idea who is responsible for her son's homicide but don't have enough evidence to make an arrest.
"There's not enough legal evidence to bring forth charges that will stick," she said.
Deneka Booth said she believes that the only way the case will be solved is if someone — perhaps someone arrested in another crime hoping to get his own charges reduced — comes forward to pinpoint an assailant.
The Booths scour social media sites searching for clues or insights about their son's homicide. The couple say that they believe three people were involved and that his death was part of a retaliation at his apartment complex.
"One lady who was there when it happened said that Robert went out to talk to the gentleman and calm him down," Deneka Booth told The Enterprise. "The boys actually were going to turn away after he talked to them."
Someone then called out the name of a girl who was one target of the retaliation attack.
"And they just started shooting," she said.
At the time he was killed, Booth had a 2-year-old son and five days earlier had achieved his certificate of pastoral installation as a minister.
His parents remain convinced that their son's death wasn't random, that he was shot while acting on his Christian faith and sense of decency by trying to turn around the lives of people on the criminal margins of society.
The Booths say they take some comfort in knowing that their son lost his life trying to improve the status of other people.
"It doesn't alleviate the pain of the whole situation," Rodney Booth said. "But at least it gives us some solace that he was doing the right thing. Someone was gunning for the family he was dealing with."
Deneka Booth said she's proud of her son leading marches and intervening in lives to try to stop violence in High Point.
"He was bringing awareness to it and ended up kind of being like a martyr," she said. "His life had purpose."
pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul
