Local

Mad Dads walks to break 'code of silence' around unsolved murders

By Brittany Jones
By Brittany Jones

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sixteen-year-old Devron Crowden was gunned down at his bus stop in December; his killer is still on the loose.

It is crimes like this that have one local group getting to work in the new year. Mad Dads is asking for the community's help to solve unsolved murders. 
    
On Saturday, the group canvassed the neighborhood in an area where Crowden was killed.

A memorial for Crowden still sits on 13th and Canal streets, his murder still unsolved, like many others in the community. On Saturday people in the community walked to find answers, standing hand in hand with one purpose.

"We wanted to start the new year off right by igniting the community that we break the code of silence," said Donald Foy, of Mad Dads.

Silence has overtaken the community for a while. Foy said at least 11 unsolved murders happened in 2014 in the Grand Park area.

Crowden's murder is one of them.

"To know that a child can get shot at a bus stop is horrifying," said victim's advocate Susan Singer.

Singer joined other families who lost loved ones as they gave out fliers to residents asking for information in the cases.

"If somebody would come forward," said Tequila Murray.

Tequila Murray knows the pain of losing a loved one all too well. Her sister, Keisha Murray, was killed and dumped in the Restlawn Cemetery not too far from the Grand Park neighborhood in 2013. Keisha Murray's killer was never found. 

"It hurts, it brings an empty void," Tequila Murray said. 

That void is a shared feeling among families of victims in Jacksonville. Our records from early December show at least 49 unsolved murders. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said there were 95 murders in 2014. 

If you have any information on either of these cases, you're asked to call Crime Stoppers.

WJAX

Most Read