Three homicides reported in Prince George's County within hours

WASHINGTON - Prince George’s County police are investigating three separate homicides that unfolded across the county in a matter of hours, prompting the police chief to address community concerns.

Prince George’s County Police Chief George Nader spoke exclusively with FOX 5's Shirin Rajaee, reassuring residents that while the cluster of violence in a single day is alarming, the killings appear to be isolated and targeted.

What they're saying:

"When violent crime happens, it affects all of us. The thing about these ones, we wanna let our community know that they appear to be isolated incidents. We don’t believe that these are random at all," Chief Nader said. "The community is not in any danger. There aren’t people randomly committing murders. But it’s something that we want people to pay attention to and give us any information they may have."

The most recent investigation began just before 11 a.m. in Langley Park, where a landscaping worker discovered a man’s body in a wooded area near Langley-Hampshire Park, not far from an elementary school. Investigators said the victim, believed to be in his 20s, suffered trauma to his upper body. Authorities have not yet determined how long the body had been at the location.

READ MORE | Man found dead at park trailhead behind Langley Park elementary school

That grim discovery followed two other fatal attacks that occurred earlier Thursday morning, roughly an hour apart.

Around 4:15 a.m., in College Park, police responded to a home on 51st Terrace, where a man was found fatally stabbed. The man was identified as 26-year-old Jose Edin Hernandez Vasquez of College Park.

Around 5:15 a.m., officers found another man shot to death in the roadway along Belle Haven Drive in Landover.

Dig deeper:

Prince George’s County police confirmed the three cases are not connected. No suspects have been apprehended, and investigators are working to establish motives in each of the killings.

Despite the multiple investigations in a single day, Chief Nader expressed confidence in the department’s overarching strategy to reduce violent crime.

"We’re seeing a downward trend, and homicides are down 33% from this time last year. When you compare this time to 2024, we’re down 55%," Nader noted. "So we know that what we’re doing is making progress, but again, we don’t just tout numbers because every single one is a life."

Anyone with information regarding any of these cases is urged to contact the Prince George’s County Police Department.

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