Linden cheerleader’s 2012 unsolved homicide is no ordinary cold case

Eighteen-year-old Amber Duncan-Wilson was shot dead on July 9, 2012, only a few days after she graduated from Linden High School, but authorities never found the culprit responsible for her slaying.

Wilson and a friend were walking home from the Wood Avenue Dunkin’ Donuts shop, when she was approached by a robber, who argued with the young woman and shot her dead on the typically quiet 500 block of Hussa Street.

Police are renewing their call for help in solving the shooting death of a young woman who was killed 10 years ago, according to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.

Authorities continue to investigate and the cold case seems to have been elevated as a priority now that William A. Daniel, who is from Linden, has been appointed Union County Prosecutor.

Daniel joined Linden Police Chief David Hart to announce renew their call for help in solving the death by that anyone with information is urged to contact the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force at 908-527-4500 or Linden Police Detective Sergeant Travis Koziol at 908-474-8542.

“Ms. Wilson was a young, ambitious woman, who had a meaningful life ahead of her,” said Daniel. “Sadly, that life was senselessly lost at such a young age and we remain as firmly committed today as we did ten years ago in finding this cold-blooded killer and to bringing justice for her and her loved ones.”

“She was always so nice. She never treated anyone different because of her status as a cheerleading captain. She was always the most helpful person on the team. She always made sure if you didn’t understand something, you could come to her,” said Brianna Armstead, 24, a 2015 Linden High School graduate whose father is Linden Mayor Derek Armstead.

“She’s one of the reasons I wanted to become a captain,” said Armstead, who ended up becoming a cheerleading captain in her senior year. “I tried to be kind, I tried to be someone that I felt the girls could come to if they were stressed or they didn’t get something. I just tried to extend myself just in the same way she extended herself. She always overextended herself with the team.”