Five years after a brutal stabbing outside his Richardson business, the murder of Ronni Rihani remains unsolved, with police still hunting for a killer who vanished into the night without taking anything from the victim.
Rihani, a 48-year-old Murphy resident, was attacked as he left work on March 4, 2021. The businessman was stabbed multiple times around 10 p.m. while exiting his establishment in the 500 block of West Campbell Road. His body was later discovered by a passerby who flagged down police.
“It’s a very violent crime, very up close and personal,” said Det. Robert Nichols with the Richardson Police Department. “Nothing taken, and that’s the unusual thing. That’s what leads us to believe it was something personal.”
A Targeted Attack
Investigators believe Rihani wasn’t the victim of a random crime. Security footage captured him locking his business door just before the attack occurred. The suspect then fled on foot, heading south toward a nearby residential area, and has managed to evade capture since that night.
Why has this case proven so difficult to solve? The seemingly personal nature of the crime has both provided direction and complicated the investigation. Richardson police indicated that the attack was likely motivated by a personal dispute rather than robbery, as nothing was stolen from Rihani during the violent encounter.
“He did leave on foot, and he did leave south of the neighborhood,” Det. Nichols noted about the suspect’s escape route. The detective remains hopeful that security footage might help identify the killer. “I think they’re going to recognize where he was at and maybe what he was wearing, and hopefully the video will help us get to that person.”
The case has frustrated investigators for half a decade now. Despite having video evidence and a clear sense that the attack was targeted, authorities haven’t been able to make an arrest in what appears to be a deeply personal crime.
Seeking Justice
North Texas Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case. Anyone with knowledge about Rihani’s murder is urged to call 214-373-TIPS (8477).
The Richardson Police Department continues to pursue leads in the investigation, hoping that someone will come forward with the critical piece of information needed to identify Rihani’s killer.
For now, the security video showing Rihani’s final moments locking up his business remains a haunting reminder of a crime that was as deliberate as it was brutal — a murder that appears to have been personal, premeditated, and still, five years later, unpunished.
