It was homecoming weekend at Rowan University, a time for celebration, football, campus activities,

and of course parties.

In the electric glow of street lights with the scent of bonfires lingering in the air

and the sounds of students having the time of their life in the distance, one sophomore's

life would be destroyed in a matter of seconds.

19-year-old Donnie Farrell was walking with a group of friends when five men approached,

asking where parties were, Donnie turned to point them out when suddenly two men struck,

a quick punch dropped Donnie before he could even react.

No one yet knew, but Donnie wasn't just hurt, he was dying.

Just a few hours later, after emergency surgery and being placed on life support, he was gone.

For police, armed with eyewitness accounts, surveillance footage, and the knowledge of a unique

piece of clothing worn by one a salient, the hunt would cover multiple states, hundreds

of interviews and thousands of miles in pursuit of the men who robbed and murdered a 19-year-old,

all over a wallet and cell phone.

This is Trace Evidence Episode 157, The Murder of Donnie Farrell.

Welcome to Trace Evidence, I'm your host, Stephen Pacheco.

Today we examine a case that's a little different from what we normally do, the story of Donnie

Farrell and the mindless violence that took his life.

We're getting into it, just a few notes about the show.

Trace Evidence is a weekly true crime podcast focused on unsolved murders and disappearances.

You can follow the show on social media on Twitter at Trace Ev Pod, Instagram at Trace Evidence

Pod, or by searching Facebook for Trace Evidence.

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