Post by Scumhunter on Jan 2, 2016 9:34:07 GMT -5
(Above Photo Credit: findagrave.com)
Raymond Hofstatter was a mentally challenged adult living in Chicago, Illinois. He would soon capture the heart of the entire city after becoming a frequent guest of popular Chicago shock jock Eric "Mancow" Muller's radio program. Those same hearts would be crushed after he was killed in a still unsolved hit and run. The case was aired on the February 25th, 2006 episode of America's Most Wanted. It was also on AMW's website as a My Story. Below is the fact-based recap from AMW just to not confuse us, but Mancow's comments can also be found in the link to the archive I will provide in this post:
My Story -- By Mancow Muller
Erich "Mancow" Muller is often called a rival to Howard Stern. He's the star of his own radio show, Mancow's Morning Madhouse, which is produced in Chicago and aired in more than 20 markets. Mancow's show features celebrity interviews, parody songs, prank calls, and lots of bantering. It's the bantering that seemed to attract the man who would ultimately become one of Mancow's most beloved sidekicks.
In 1996, a man calling himself Cowboy Ray called in to the show and told listeners he was a cowboy on a ranch in Santa Fe. But in reality, Cowboy Ray was mild-mannered Ray Hofstatter -- calling from his mother's basement on the South Side of Chicago. Improbably, it was the beginning of a long friendship bewteen Mancow and Cowboy Ray.
A Star Is Born
Ray became such a popular caller that Muller brought Cowboy Ray into the studio for weekly radio segments. Hofstatter quickly became part of the morning show family and developed a special bond with Muller.
Part of Cowboy Ray's charm was that no one knew what topic he'd be on next. But equally unpredictable was what happened to the beloved radio star on Nov. 20, 2005.
"Who Did This To My Boy?"
Police say Cowboy Ray left the Bohica Bar & Grill on Chicago's Southwest Side around 3:45 a.m. on Nov. 20, 2005. While crossing the street near the 5500 block of South Archer he was struck by a speeding car. The driver allegedly sped off, leaving Ray sprawled on the ground with multiple injuries.
Hofstatter spent several weeks in the hospital until he died on Jan. 10, 2006 -- less than two months after the hit-and-run accident.
According to witnesses, the driver was a petite, dark-haired woman who was speeding in a dark-colored car -- possibly a Honda Civic. They say the impact of the hit threw Hofstatter into the air and knocked off his coat, sweater, pants and shoes.
Witnesses also say two or three other passengers were in the vehicle that struck Hofstatter. No skid marks were found at the accident scene, indicating that the driver never slowed down or stopped after hitting Hofstatter.
Mancow Muller is devastated by the loss of his old friend, and he's determined to find justice for him.
Thoughts? At the time of the AMW posting Mancow was offering a $28,000 reward although I don't know if it's still out there. Unfortunately, a decade later, short from anyone who witnessed anything or one of the people who were only passengers in the car and didn't actually hit Ray coming forward out of guilt, this seems like almost an impossible case to solve. A car hit him, sped away. Not much to work with of course. We can always hope of course. Cowboy Ray was a beloved figure and still deserves justice even a decade later.
Admin Note #1: Based on location of hit and run, our advice for anyone with tips on this case would be to contact Cook County Crime Stoppers: www.cookcountycrimestoppers.org/
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
web.archive.org/web/20070806082842/http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=37115
articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-01-12/news/0601120335_1_show-dark-shadows-erich-mancow-muller
