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‘Never had time to heal’: Family of man killed in Southside cold case still waiting for answers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville man, Dustin Minarik, was shot and killed on the Southside in 2014. He would have turned 45 on Thursday.

No arrest has been made in connection to his murder.

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Action News Jax Shanila Kabir spoke to Minarik’s family members who said they are now trying to work with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to feature him on JSO’s Cold Case Spotlight series.

Family said Minarik was a successful mechanic and an even better father.

He was killed outside of his home just after midnight on Mar. 30, 2014. Officers said the person who shot him was at a house party directly across the street on Kline Road near Southside Boulevard.

“There were a lot of people there. There were a lot of young people with guns, and they were drinking alcohol,” said Alexis Minarik, Dustin’s daughter.

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Alexis said her father went outside to move his car and kindly asked the people who were partying to keep the noise level down because his young children were sleeping.

“I guess they took that offensively. When my dad turned around, they shot him in the back, and they all jumped inside of a pick-up truck and drove away,” said Alexis.

She said the three children--ages 13,10 and 7--at the time were essentially left with no parents after that. Alexis said their mother was no longer in contact with them.

“Me and my siblings kind of just bounced around, and we never had time to heal. We never had time to grieve after my dad passed away. We had to worry about how we’re going to survive and when our next meal is going to be.”

Alexis said officers told them the homeowner of the property where the party was happening was not home at the time, and the family received little to no information about the party or who was there.

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Now, she asks any witnesses to please come forward even after ten years to help solve her father’s killing.

“My dad lived on that street for years. My dad was very outgoing, and he knew a lot of people. He would give people his last dollar if that’s all he had,” Alexis said.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the Minarik case remains an active investigation. Officers said family members can continue reaching out to the cold case unit for updates. JSO said while these cases are considered “cold,” that does not mean the search for justice is over.

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