I think you are half right. I know a couple of the detectives that work the area and they're not the sort that dismiss a case because the victim doesn't fit their ideal human. I think the difficulty with this case isn't lack of police interest but the lack of witness testimony and uncooperative family members. Similarly, community interest isn't going be piqued by someone from the fringes. There are literally dozens of unsolved violent crimes and homicides from that geographical area of Newport News that happen in broad daylight in front of crowds but no one will cooperate. It's not surprising considering the history of witness deaths and tampering that's happened in the past or the overwhelming culture.
Recently, a murder suspect was arrested after months evading authorities. He was helped by people in the community; neighbors, friends, and family knew he was running. They all helped him out. Not out of fear but cause "it's the police's job to find people and arrest them, why do the police's job for them by turning him in?" They had no sense of civic responsibility. For the police, it's like herding cats.