On the night of October 16, 2001, Corporal Michael Douglas Beverly was standing outside his unmarked police car when he was shot.

Officers who rushed to the scene found the 11-year veteran Chester Police Department in Pennsylvania lying on his back and trembling. The car keys were still clutched in her hand and the gun was holstered. Several bullet holes were seen on his face and chest.

The investigators tried to call out the name of the 36-year-old. He didn’t make it. Beverly leaves behind a wife of 16 years and their five children.

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Corporal Michael Beverly was shot and killed while on patrol in 2001. (Bright Spot Content)

“He was a good person,” Chris McMullin, a Philadelphia native and Bucks County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, told Fox News Digital.

“He was dedicated to his job, but he was also a dedicated family man,” McMullin said. “And he was just as dedicated to the community.”

The murder, which took place in the crime-ridden area of ​​Chester Gardens, is explored on Oxygen’s series “Philly Homicide.”

Includes new interviews with former and current detectives in the Philadelphia areaas well as loved ones and those closely connected to the cases that occurred in the city known as the birthplace of America.

Chris McMullin, a lieutenant with the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office in Pennsylvania, is the host of Oxygen’s “Homicide Philly.” (Bright Spot Content)

McMullin, the show’s host, previously spent several years as a patrol officer with the Philadelphia Police Department, working his way up to become a detective with the Bensalem Police Department. He described how the men in blue were “relentless” in finding out who killed Beverly.

“That was one of the reasons I wanted to tell this story, as well as the others I’ve explored in the series,” McMullin explained. “I wanted to show how hard these detectives work for justice, to bring justice on behalf of the victims and their families. These detectives want to protect our society. And in this case they vowed to find out who killed Corporal Beverly.”

Eyes have turned to the Boyle Street Boys, a street gang that, according to court documents, used “extremely violent tactics” to control its younger members and “street vendors.” Their goal was to fiercely protect their “ground” for the sale and distribution of cocaine.

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Michael Beverly is survived by his wife and five children. (Bright Spot Content)

Members saw themselves as a “family” united by loyalty. Senior members would discuss whether certain individuals who were viewed as a threat should be killed.

“They followed through on their threats of violence,” McMullin said. “I hate to give them a compliment, and I don’t mean it that way, but they were the real deal. It wasn’t just a lot of talk. They’re going to go with threats.”

However, investigators were met with a “wall of silence” from the community.

Michael Beverly is seen here with his mother. (Bright Spot Content)

“Chester is a tough town,” McMullin said. “I’ve had cases where people didn’t want to talk to me because they were afraid of retribution. You can’t blame them for that. It’s hard. You have to work to earn the public’s trust. And to keep it, you have to you keep your word You can’t blame anyone who’s afraid to speak up a gang terrorizing an entire city.”

Chris McMullin spent several years as a patrol officer with the Philadelphia Police Department. (Bright Spot Content)

And the killing hit close to home. The series depicted how Beverly never got over the shooting death of her patrol partner, Connie Hawkins, in 1993. According to The Philadelphia Inquirerhe was active with the Delaware County Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation, a group that aims to honor fallen officers. He wore a bracelet in memory of Hawkins.

Beverly found solace in immersing herself in activities involving her children. The station reported that the US Marine Corps veteran was active in the Rose Tree Soccer League and was an assistant basketball coach.

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A young Chris McMullin is seen here with his father. (Bright Spot Content)

Detectives later learned that Beverly tried to mentor a young man in the community named Maurice Day. But the last number Beverly called before his murder was not Day, but Gloria Adams, who lived a few steps from where he was killed. According to reports, Beverly called Adams about 10 minutes before he was shot.

A visibly shaken Adams told detectives she had known Beverly for years. She described him as a positive role model for her son – Day. She explained how Beverly tried to talk to the 18-year-old, who appeared to be looking for a chance to join the Boyle Street Boys. But when they questioned Day, he claimed he was at his girlfriend’s house the night of the shooting. She corroborated his claim.

Michael Beverly’s case has almost gone cold. (Bright Spot Content)

The case apparently went cold — until October 2002. A woman, arrested for drug possession, claimed she witnessed Day’s shooting in Beverly. The prosecutor, who said Day “executed” Beverly, later argued that Day was motivated to kill because he was “teased, taunted and ridiculed” by members of the Boyle Street Boys, Delco Times reported.

Michael Beverly was trying to mentor Maurice Day. (Bright Spot Content)

According to the series, Day was frustrated by Beverly’s friendship with his mother, fearing that his street cred would be destroyed.

“I don’t want to comment on that — I’ve never spoken to the child,” McMullin said. “It was my interpretation from what I know of this case that it was a peer pressure thing, in addition to not wanting to be labeled a rat. But I can’t say for sure why he did what he did. he did.”

What is certain, McMullin said, is that police have refused to give up on finding Beverly’s killer.

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Corporal Beverly was a veteran of the US Marine Corps. He worked for the Chester Police Department for 11 years. (Bright Spot Content)

According to the publication, a gang member later testified that Day admitted to killing Beverly. Day’s cousin, who was not a gang member, also gave crucial testimony.

“He told me he killed the policeman – shot him,” the jury witness was quoted as saying by the media.

The day, the 20th, was found guilty of first degree murder. He was sentenced to life without parole. In the episode, Beverly’s sister is heard saying that she was satisfied with the sentence, with Day receiving the death penalty.

Maurice Day is currently serving a life sentence. (Pennsylvania Department of Corrections)

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“I think she’s content to know that he can sit there for the rest of his life and think about what he did,” McMullin said. “Sometimes people think that’s worse than death.”

Today, McMullin hopes Beverly’s legacy will be remembered, as well as those who never gave up on finding her killer.

“Justice doesn’t always come easily,” McMullin reflected. “Solving a case takes a lot of dedication and determination. I want people to see that detectives across the country, but especially in the Philadelphia region, are dedicated and want to protect society. I’m trying to show that sometimes there have been some bad cops, yes, but there are a lot more good ones.”