Cold Case 1980: Alfred Steck

Alfred Steck, 27, was a sculptor.  He was a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, over 6' tall and slender.  He was known for his innate attention to detail.

On July 20, 1980 at 11:00 pm, Alfred Steck was shot to death in the elevator of the apartment building where he lived, located at 75 E. Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland.  Mr. Steck was the apparent intended victim of an armed robbery.

At approximately 10:45 pm that evening the suspects, depicted in the composites, were observed occupying a large white car in the driveway located at the front of the building.  A few minutes later the suspects were observed seated in the lobby of the building.  One suspect was wearing a yellow shirt with a black or blue stripe and the other was wearing a light blue shirt.  After hearing the sound of shots within the building, witnesses observed the suspects running from the building and heading toward the white car which was parked in the front parking lot near Wayne Avenue.

Investigation has linked the suspects responsible in the Steck murder to the armed robbery/shooting of an employee of the Halmar Brothers' Men's Clothing store located at 7639 New Hampshire Avenue in Takoma Park, Maryland, on July 10, 1980.  That crime remains open as well.

During this period of time there were numerous reported incidents of armed robberies in Silver Spring, Takoma Park, and the upper Northwest and Northeast areas of Washington, D.C.  The suspects were described as teenagers.  There were several common denominators involving the suspects' method of operation in commission of these armed robberies, to include the captioned case.  In each, one suspect was armed with a gun and the other was armed with a club or pipe.  The suspects were stealing the full-size Ford LTDs which were used in the commission of some of the robberies.

The suspects were described as:  #1, black male, 18-22 years, 5'8-5'9, 150 lbs., light complexion, brown eyes, short brown hair; #2, black male, 18-22 years, 5'6 to 5'7, 145 lbs., medium brown complexion, black short hair.  The composite drawings below were completed shortly after the crime.