It could be Monopoly, cards or the latest PlayStation release, Steven André Golden was always 10 steps ahead of his opponent.
“If you were playing any game with him, you would lose,” recalled Steve’s mother, Rosalind.
A strategic thinker, Steve was more interested in the arcade than the rides at Coney Island. He spent all day shooting hoops, water guns and Pac-Man ghosts, amassing rolls of tickets that he then traded in for the most gigantic stuffed animal available.
He also enjoyed playing goofy games with the children in his South Philadelphia neighborhood — never too proud for Ring around the Rosie. Mothers requested that he escort their kids to the park or to the store.
Steve also tutored and counseled students as a volunteer at the former Germantown High School, keeping them busy and off the streets after school and during summer breaks. Raised Catholic, he taught the teens to have the courage to walk away from any argument.
Born in Brooklyn on December 21, 1989, Steve moved with his family to North Philadelphia when he was 11 years old, before relocating to Germantown and South Philadelphia.
“He was kinda peaceful and laid-back, so he made friends easy,” said his younger sister, Samantha. Steve had another sister, Rosalind, and two brothers, Bradley and Herbert Lee Duncan Jr.
Steve was on track to graduate from South Philadelphia High School and accept a scholarship to study culinary arts and video game design at the former Art Institute of Philadelphia when he was fatally shot after 1 a.m. on June 10, 2009 at the corner of North 26th Street and West Sedgley Avenue in North Philadelphia.
A suspect, one of Steve’s friends, was charged in connection with the incident but a jury failed to convict him, Rosalind said. Steve had been visiting his girlfriend shortly before he was killed.
“All he talked about was girls,” remembered Rosalind. “He would say, ‘Mom, I like this girl,’ and I would say, ‘Another one?’”
One month before his death, Steve saved the lives of two of his female friends, Rosalind said, calling 911 after he found them suffering from food poisoning.
He and Samantha — just 14 months apart — shared a special bond, dating back to when they were both still in diapers.
“Don’t cry, baby,” he consoled his screaming sister, before handing her his own bottle.
Later, Steve and Samantha’s son, Kevin, were inseparable. Steve, who had plans to be a father someday, belted out hip hop while spinning Kevin in the air. When his nephew’s diaper was full, he quickly handed him back to Samantha.
Growing up, Steve enjoyed creating poster-size, detailed drawings of his favorite cartoon characters from The Simpsons and Dragon Ball. He won tournaments in Yu-Gi-Oh!, a trading card game, and performed uncanny impressions of then-President Barack Obama. He also composed dance music under the nickname “Snowman” and “Dolla.”
Steve’s father, Herbert Lee Duncan Sr. owned a construction business and Steve tagged along when he was still in preschool. After Herbert died of colon cancer in 2001, Steve began doing odd jobs around the house, such as clearing a clogged gas feed on his mom’s stove.
“Where’s Daddy?” he would ask years after his father’s death, unable to fully process the answer.
The family ate together every night, sometimes ordering takeout from whichever restaurant had slipped a flyer in the door that day.
Often, Steve invited eight of his friends over to eat, and they would specifically request Rosalind’s Spanish rice or baked macaroni.
Steve studied his mother in the kitchen, fascinated by how she cleaned, coated and seasoned the chicken. He never participated, but the experience sparked an interest in cooking as a profession.
He is buried in Merion Memorial Park; Steve’s former students were pallbearers. The service featured Steve’s favorite song, “Laffy Taffy.”
Each year, on the anniversary of his birthday, Rosalind visits the telephone pole where her son was murdered and decorates it with his picture, a card, a wreath, a red bow, or a snowman.
That first winter, vandals used a razor blade to mutilate three of Steve’s photos.
But Rosalind keeps coming back, her hope for justice dimming with each passing year.
A reward of up to $20,000 if available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible for Steven Golden’s murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS. Information can also be submitted to the Philadelphia Police Department online or by calling 215-686-TIPS.
Resources are available for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Click here for more information.
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