Police seek public's help in solving two slayings

By Michael Naughton, Globe Correspondent

For many people, there was a special glow about Friday. It was the threshold of the holiday season, a time to celebrate with friends, family, or co-workers. Or do some last-minute shopping.

But the day turned deadly for two men, one fatally shot in Dorchester and the other in Roxbury.

The first shooting happened outside the Geneva Grocery at 385 Geneva Ave. in Dorchester at about 5:24 p.m. About four hours later another man was found shot near 68 Cedar St. in Roxbury in the vicinity of the Fort Hill housing complex.

Police would not release details today, including a suspected motive or number of times each person was shot in yesterday's murders. Nor would they identify the men, saying only that they were black males in their 20s.

The rash of violence drove Boston's homicide count for the year to 66 and broke the city's 27-day stretch without a homicide.

Before Friday's slayings, Ruel Davis was the last person to be murdered in the city. The 21-year-old from Dorchester was shot Nov. 23 in front of his girlfriend's apartment on Walnut Avenue in Roxbury.

Anyone with information can call police at 617-343-4470 or text "TIP" to 27463.

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