#UNSOLVED: ‘I wish he got to see my life’, Wilmington teen reflects on dad’s murder

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington family is looking for answers after a 26-year-old man and new father was shot to death outside his home more than 15 years ago.

What happened to Emmett Irving in 2008 remains unsolved.

Jada Irving is proud of the young woman she has become, but she was forced to grow up without her father.

“I wish I got to see his life and I wish he got to see my life,” Jada said. “He always told my mother, he wanted to see me grow up. He couldn’t wait until I got bigger.”

Now that she is bigger, she holds onto stories and videos she has of her dad, but it is not easy, because she was too small to remember any of it.

“I didn’t get to see it or hear it or get his lovin’ and the care that he gave to everyone else, I didn’t get to have that, so when people talk about him, I love to hear it, but it makes me still kind of sad, because I didn’t get to see none of that,” Jada said.

Jada was just a baby when Emmett Irving was shot and killed in Wilmington. Corporal Jeremy Barsaleau with the Wilmington Police Department said on July 26, 2008, officers responded to a shooting in the 800 block of Grace Street just before midnight.

“The first officer arrived on scene saw mister Irving laying in the streets.”

Barsaleau said Irving had gone out for a late dinner with his girlfriend, Jada’s mom, that night.

“When they came back, they noticed some people around that area,” Barsaleau said.

Barsaleau said as they pulled into the driveway, they noticed the people were not passing the house.

“He didn’t really think too much about it, but his girlfriend felt uneasy about it,” Barsaleau said. “She noticed when Emmett was walking up to the house, these two unknown individuals followed him up onto the porch with guns in their hands.”

Barsaleau said his girlfriend then ducked down into the passenger seat.

“She heard a gunshot go off and then, five more gun shots and when she peaked up, the two other individuals that had the guns were gone,” Barsaleau said. “She got out and found Emmett lying in the street.”

Irving was pronounced dead at the hospital. While Jada was too young to remember what happened that night, Irving’s cousin Ahneekah Salley does.

“It was devastating,” Salley said.

Salley said Irving was more like a brother to her.

“There was so much we had to look forward for,” Salley said. “I planned on growing old with him.”

That’s why she stepped up to be more like a second mom to Jada.

“Jada is okay,” Salley said. “She is gonna be great. I got her.”

The whole family stepped in for Jada and they’ve all stepped up to find justice for her dad.

“My Aunt Joyce would have wanted us to keep pushing for this,” Salley said. “She worked very hard to try to get it solved before she died.”

WWAY talked to their Aunt Joyce in 2008 when the family marked two years since Irving’s death.

“My promise to him was when he was dying, I’ll do everything I can to bring the murderers to justice,” Joyce said to WWAY in 2008.

Now, they need the community to step in to help solve this case.

“If anybody knows anything or knows any information or how or who or why,” Jada said.

Barsaleau said it has been hard to get people to talk, but maybe this will help.

“A lot of people we were looking at are gone. Either, they’ve died themselves or they are away for crimes that they’ve committed,” Barsaleau said. “It’s my belief that with some of these people not out in the streets that maybe someone will feel comfortable coming forward and talking.”

Anything you remember could help bring answers to a night Salley never wants to relive.

“Closure,” Salley said. “We can move forward. Give us some closure.”

If you have any information, please contact Wilmington Police.