Gray Collins ’25
As per The New York Times, Josh Kruger, a Philadelphia journalist, LGBTQ ally, and HIV+ advocate, was shot seven times and killed outside his home on October 2nd. The suspect, 19-year-old Robert Davis, turned himself into the police on October 25 after a two-week manhunt. This event, seen initially by Philadelphians and media outlets as a senseless, yet straightforward, killing, has grown more complex due to new information revealed about Kruger and Davis’s relationship. Sean Magee ’25 remarks, “A couple of weeks ago, I thought this story was deeply saddening, but nothing unusual. However, everything has been turned on its head since then.”
Photo Courtesy of CBS News
As reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, during his career, Kruger had been a powerful voice in the underrepresented communities of Philadelphia—he was willing to speak out about his experiences living as a gay man with HIV. For example, in an article for The Philadelphia Magazine, Kruger argued against the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS: “You can’t blame HIV-positive people, though, for systemic problems in America in terms of HIV stigma, which partly explains why people are afraid or won’t test for HIV; or poor healthcare access, which partly explains why people don’t get tested for HIV and why, if they’re HIV-positive, they might develop AIDS.” In addition to his published works about HIV/AIDS, the journalist tried to help specific members of the Philadelphia community who shared his condition.
Additionally, Kruger took strong stances on opioid abuse and crime in Philadelphia. Most notably, Kruger highlights how the very administration he served in, as well as numerous prior administrations, had utterly failed to address the situation in Kensington properly. In a piece for The Philadelphia Citizen, Kruger explained that the embattled Philadelphia neighborhood has been dealing with the brutal consequences of the prevalence of “‘tranq dope,’ which — and this is not exaggeration — withers away flesh as though it were frostbitten alligator skin.” These jarring images reflect the extent of the problem that Kruger was trying to tackle through his writing.
As well as working as a journalist, Kruger worked on Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s staff. Kruger was involved in the Office of Homeless Services as the social media and communications manager, a valued role for a man who, just a few years prior, was living on the streets. Hearing of his death, Mayor Kenney commented, “Josh cared deeply about our city and its residents, which was evident both in his public service and in his writing. His intelligence, creativity, passion, and wit shone bright in everything that he did—and his light was dimmed much too soon.” Tributes like this poured in from across the country. News sources such as the Philadelphia Magazine, Citizen, and Inquirer reflected on Kruger’s positive impact as a journalist and community member.
Through both his writing and community action, Josh Kruger was someone who worked his personal voice and passion into solving the sweeping problems facing Philadelphia. Due to this service, Kruger was awarded the prize for reporting in Pennsylvania from the Society of Professional Journalists. While until recently the media coverage on Kruger was overwhelmingly positive, the revelation that Kruger had engaged in illegal sexual relations and illegal substance use with his alleged killer, Davis, changed the perception.
Ellie Rushing of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes that the then 35-year-old Kruger had begun to engage in these illegal practices when Davis was just 15 years old. Damica Davis, the mother of Robert Davis, picked up clues that something was wrong such as her son’s frequent trips to the home of “an older white woman” who “worked for the government” and Robert’s drug use. During the time when Davis saw Kruger, the teen developed a methamphetamine addiction. Damica Davis says, “We’ve only had pieces of everything. We could never put the pieces together, and now everything is coming out and we see what’s going on.”
Newer reporting from the Inquirer displays the hypocritical nature of Kruger, who claimed to have stopped using crystal meth in 2013, well before the alleged relationship with Davis. The newspaper reported that meth was found at Kruger’s house shortly after the shooting, indicating the journalist’s continued addiction. Furthermore, Philadelphia Police turned over the contents of Kruger’s phone to the Special Victims unit under suspicion of explicit images, “disturbing” content, and possible blackmail. After an in-depth review by The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Davis sometimes returned home with expensive gifts, such as designer belts and Gucci pants, they said and would tell his family the woman bought them for him. He’d sometimes stay out until early morning, they said, and return under the influence of drugs. They found needles, pills, and other drug paraphernalia in his pockets, and believe he became addicted to meth. Kruger, for his part, was transparent about the struggles in his own life. He has said he was homeless for years and was addicted to crystal meth and used intravenous drugs.”
Photo Courtesy of @Fox 5 DC
These new stories have changed the public perception of the situation. For instance, journalist Oona Goodin-Smith from the Philadelphia magazine uncovered that the William Way LGBT Community Center scrapped plans for a tribute, citing, “With the allegations that have recently surfaced about Josh’s murder and the complexities involved, we don’t believe that we can create a safe space, either for Josh’s friends and family or for those who have rightful anger and concerns over allegations of child sexual abuse.”
Magee details, “The changing tune of the media in reporting this story has really altered my perspective of Davis from a cold-blooded murderer of a valued community member to a troubled teenager that has been sexually abused and addicted to heavy drugs.
The horrible events that took place on both sides of this intricate story and the conflicting media reports leave Philadelphians saddened and confused. This story sheds light on the devastating problems like drug addiction, sexual abuse, and gun violence in our communities. There were two different lights shed on Josh Kruger and Robert Davis. Before findings about his difficult past, Kruger was very much portrayed in a positive manner while Davis was “considered to be armed and dangerous” with no mention of a difficult past. As demonstrated, media heavily shapes the perception of the public. With the number of serious and constantly developing stories that can inundate media consumers, it is important to keep in mind what kind of societal biases could be shaping otherwise incomplete narratives.