By JESSICA SCHLADEBECK
New York Daily News
PUBLISHED: October 12, 2023 at 5:49 p.m.
UPDATED: October 12, 2023 at 6:26 p.m.
Family of the 19-year-old suspect accused of killing Philadelphia journalist Josh Kruger has alleged the duo had been in a drug-fueled relationship and that the teen was being blackmailed with explicit videos.
Robert Davis is wanted for fatally shooting Kruger inside his two-story townhouse on the 2300 block of Watkins Street in Point Breeze. Police said the 39-year-old journalist was shot seven times in the chest and abdomen on Oct. 2 around 1:30 a.m. Afterward, he staggered from his home in search of help before collapsing on the street, where he was found.
Kruger, who was later pronounced dead at an area hospital, was remembered as an LGBTQ writer and activist who used his own experience with homelessness, sex work and drug addiction to inspire others.
Police previously said they believed Kruger, 39, was trying to help Davis, but the teen’s family has since contested the narrative. In a recent interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, his brother and mother allege Kruger was engaged in a sexual relationship with Davis, who just 15 when they first started seeing each other.
At the time, Davis told his family he was seeing an “older white woman” he met online who “worked for the government.” They said they often saw the name “Josh” pop up on his phone, but Davis had brushed them off, claiming it was the brother of his new flame.
Davis’ mother, Damica Davis, said he called last Friday, just hours after Philadelphia police showed up at her home in search of her son. During the call, she claims he confirmed the person he’d been seeing was Kruger, who worked for the city, including the Office of Homeless Services, from 2015 to 2020. His family further claims Kruger threatened to post sexually explicit videos of Davis online prior to the shooting.
“He was scared,” she said. “He said ‘… He wanted me to do some stuff I didn’t want to do and if I didn’t do it, he said he was going to blackmail me.’”
Since the murder, police said they’ve separately discovered what multiple law enforcement sources have called explicit photos and messages in Kruger’s phone. The sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not say whether the content was linked to Davis, only that they were “disturbing” and have been turned over to the department’s Special Victims Unit for further analysis.
Davis remains at large. There is a $20,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest and conviction.
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