Post by Scumhunter on Jun 20, 2016 21:23:30 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: nola.com)
From nola.com:
One month after New Orleans police found Thomas Rolfes' body in a lot along South Claiborne Avenue, the Tulane graduate's loved ones stood outside the gas station where the 25-year-old was last spotted alive and, with tears in their eyes, begged the public to help detectives catch his killer.
"I lie awake every night wondering how he spent the last hours of his life," said Rolfes' fiancée, Elizabeth Fried. "Was he scared? Did he suffer? Why did this have to happen to such an incredible human being? Not knowing this haunts me everyday."
Donations from Rolfes' family, friends and employer have pushed the Crimestoppers reward up to $30,000. Authorities have received some tips since police found Rolfes' body early in the morning of May 7, near the corner of Claiborne and Amelia Street. But Darlene Cusanza, president and CEO of Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans, said frustration grows with each passing day without an arrest.
"One month ago, it took one violent act to take this young man's life from his loved ones," she said. "Now it will just take that one phone call to find justice for Thomas."
The lead detective on the case, Andrew Waldron, offered few additional details about the department's investigation. At the time of Rolfes' death, NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison said injuries to Rolfes' hands pointed to a struggle before his fatal shooting. That bit of evidence, coupled with Rolfes' missing wallet, suggested robbery as the motive, the chief said.
A St. Louis native, Rolfes traveled to New Orleans with Fried, whom he met while at Tulane, to scout venues for the couple's upcoming wedding. He had been with friends at Ms. Mae's bar on Magazine Street and Napoleon Avenue roughly two hours before his body was discovered, police said.
Surveillance footage from the Delta Fuel gas station at Claiborne and Toledano – where the family and Crimestoppers held Tuesday's press conference – showed Rolfes buying two bottles of water around 3:30 a.m. Less than an hour later, different surveillance footage from a business near Claiborne and Amelia shows what looks to be a bystander finding Rolfes' body.
Anyone with information about Rolfes' death is encouraged to contact Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2016/06/thomas_rolfes_new_orleans_murd.html
Thoughts?
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