Post by Scumhunter on Mar 6, 2016 20:00:10 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: silive.com)
The unsolved murder case of then 18-year old Samantha Guzman was aired on the July 21st, 2007 episode of America's Most Wanted. Unfortunately, I can no longer find the full archive description online, but I did find a partial one. Please keep in mind it's from a site that jumbled together data from the old site, it starts partially cut off, and may not seem to have correct grammar/words jumbled at times. (I tried to clean it up a little).
"their way home from a friend's house in the Bronx. Samantha's friends claim on their way to the bus stop they stumbled upon two guys getting beat up by a group of more than ten people. They say they tried to avoid the situation by minding their business but two suspects approached them and demanded money. Samantha's friends told police they refused to give the suspects anything and ran off when they saw a gun. They claim about 13 gunshots rang out after them and the only person hit was Samantha. Her best friend says Samantha collapsed on the ground in pain gasping for air. They say she used her fingers to tell them what phone numbers to dial hoping to speak to someone in her family. Her mother received the horrible phone call of her daughter's condition at 1 o clock in the morning/ The last time her father says he saw his daughter alive was at the hospital when they wheeled her into an operating room.
Samantha's funeral was attended by more than a hundred of her classmates who were just weeks shy of graduation. The senior prom theme was changed in Samantha's honor to feature her favorite color purple. Her younger sister attended the event and wore Samantha's crown accompanied by Samantha's boyfriend. Weeks later Samantha s mother was handed her daughter's diploma at graduation.
The Guzmans are working to end gun violence after losing their little girl to it. The story of the Guzman family is just one of many who have suffered the loss of a loved one to a random act of violence. But like the Guzmans more and more families are coming together to do something about it by joining New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. The organization is dedicated to reducing gun violence through education and legislation with the help of Mayor Bloomberg. The woman responsible for starting the Bronx chapter of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, Gloria Cruz, suffered two tragic deaths in her own family. Her son was killed in an accident when he was just fourteen and her niece was killed by a stray bullet. Gloria was compelled to join the group when she was approached by members at her niece's vigil. Each week Gloria invites twelve families to educate them on the legal side of prosecuting a suspect and offering them assistance in the process. They have roundabout discussions where they talk about their loss and remember the good times. She believes the meeting is therapeutic for everyone who attends because they all have one thing in common: A bond that none of them wishes they shared. The mothers often call each other for a comfort The victims of the families range in age beginning with death of a two year old Most of the cases have been solved but not Samantha's."
Thoughts? As far as I can tell, this case is still unsolved, tragically. But please correct us otherwise. In 2009, police arrested several reputed Bloods gang members who were believed to be associates of Samantha's killer. According to a 2014 article, the members of part of a breakaway Bloods crew that calls themselves the "Macballas." Despite this, a specific arrest of Samantha's killer or killers has not been made.
Admin Note #1: Based on crime location, our advice for anyone with information on who killed Samantha Guzman would be to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers: a056-crimestoppers.nyc.gov/crimestoppers/public/index.html
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
Relevant links:
web.archive.org/web/20070805014257/http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=43705
www.inarchive.com/com/a/amw.com/7941/2011-11-22-description/619/AMW_Fugitives_Unknown_Heaven_LaShae_Ross_Killer_Brief/ (Scroll down for partial description of Guzman case)
www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/report_cops_hope_bronx_arrests.html
www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/New-York-City-Drug-Ring-Raid-Public-Housing-Crime-Gang-Murders-Binghamton-254419621.html