Philadelphia journalist and activist Josh Kruger, who was shot and killed outside his home earlier this month, is now believed to have been in a years-long sexual relationship with the teenager accused of killing him. According to the family of 19-year-old Robert Davis, the suspected shooter was only 15 when Kruger allegedly began supplying him with drugs and blackmailing him with sexually explicit photos.
As Valuetainment previously reported, Josh Kruger, 39, worked as a reporter for outlets including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Weekly, and Philadelphia City Paper, and was also employed as a social media director for Mayor Jim Kenney and the city’s Office of Homelessness. Kruger, a gay man who had battled drug addiction and homelessness in the past, was a strong advocate for Philadelphia’s indigent and LGBTQ communities.
Just prior to his death, Kruger wrote a series of X posts mocking and downplaying the threat of urban crime in major cities, in keeping with his long-running trend of online liberal activism. In the early hours of October 2, neighbors reported hearing seven gunshots outside Kruger’s Point Breeze rowhouse before finding him on the sidewalk. The journalist was rushed to a nearby hospital but died shortly after arriving.
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Eyewitness testimony and surveillance footage from the area led authorities to issue an arrest warrant for 19-year-old Robert Davis earlier this week—but statements from the suspect’s family may complicate the investigation.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer—a publication for which Kruger once wrote—Davis’ family members allege that Kruger had been exploiting and blackmailing the teen for several years. Damica Davis, the suspect’s mother, claimed to have spoken to her son last Friday. “He was scared,” she said. “He said ‘[Kruger] 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.’”
She went on to describe her son’s mental health and substance abuse problems that began when he was in high school, at which point he became involved with the city’s Office of Homeless Services, where Kruger worked from 2015 to 2020. During this time, Davis’ family believes he began a sexual relationship with Kruger, who they suspect of supplying the teen with expensive gifts and hardcore drugs.
For years, the family was unable to figure out who Davis was involved with…but following Kruger’s death, things have clarified for them. “We’ve only had pieces of everything,” she said. “We could never put the pieces together, and now everything is coming out and we see what’s going on.”
When police arrived at the family residence on Friday morning, Davis was gone. He has not yet been located by authorities, but Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore stated that Davis “could answer a lot of questions if he comes into custody and surrenders.”
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At the time of Kruger’s death, detectives reported finding methamphetamine in his bedroom, as well as what they called “disturbing” texts and images on his cellphone. It is unclear if the phone’s contents implicate Davis in the killing.
However, the nature of the relationship between Kruger and Davis is particularly concerning given the late journalist’s past statements on this very subject.
The centuries old smear that gay men are pedophiles is getting new life thanks to coordination between far right news sites and far right message boards. This egregious defamation is part of a strategy to target LGBTQ people with violence.
— Josh Kruger (@JoshKrugerPHL) July 13, 2018
An older series of posts recounts Kruger’s own experiences with childhood sexual abuse, which allegedly began when he was the same age as Davis.
When I was 14, I was sexually abused by an adult. It was confusing to me. I thought I acted in a way that I deserved it and should be "OK."
— Josh Kruger (@JoshKrugerPHL) February 20, 2017
Davis’ mother added that her son should face the consequences of his actions if he is found guilty, but she also believes that he is just as much of a victim in the situation.
“It’s tragic what happened,” she said. “But I feel like my son is a victim in this as well.”
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