Parents of slain DNC employee make emotional plea to help find son's killer
WASHINGTON - The family of a slain Democratic National Committee employee gunned down in the Bloomingdale neighborhood last month is urging the community to help provide any information that will help solve his murder.
Seth Rich was killed about a block away nearby his home in the 2100 block of Flagler Place at 4:19 a.m. on July 10.
According to police sources, Rich was shot twice and was still conscious when help arrived. However, he was unable to provide first responders any sort of suspect description.
Police do not have much to go at this point in the case and there is no surveillance camera footage and no witnesses of the fatal shooting. Also, it appears nothing was taken from Rich.
Rich's parents, who traveled from Nebraska to Washington D.C., were at a news conference held by D.C. police at the site of where their son was killed. Mary Rich made an emotional appeal to help find her son's murderer.
"Please if you have heard anything, if you saw anyone in the area at this time, if you know of people that came home after 4:30 in the early morning, particularly you know of anyone that looks like they have been in a fight, bruised, black eyes, scuffled clothing torn - there was a scuffle here and my son was shot in the back twice," she said. "I ask you please if you know anything, heard anything, just come forward and talk to the police. It may be important, it may not, but we want to find who killed our son."
Rich's mother said Seth was walking home talking on the phone with his girlfriend before he was killed.
"If they would kill my son for simply walking home, they will kill anybody and they will continue to kill and then the next time they shoot to kill, it will be someone you love," said Mary Rich. "And trust me, this is not much fun. This is something our family will always live with, his friends will always live with and I hope this doesn't go any further, so please help us try to find who shot our son and let's try to make this neighborhood, it's a wonderful neighborhood, let's try to make it safer."
At the time of the Rich's murder, crime was a major concern for residents in this neighborhood with robberies up 80 percent compared to last year.
D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier was at the news conference and FOX 5 asked her if they are looking at anyone who committed robberies in this area in recent weeks. A man was arrested for multiple robberies committed robbery on Flagler Place back in June. There were also three other men arrested for a robbery that took place on 1st Street on July 28. Lanier said they are looking at these people, but would not call them suspects in this case.
A $25,000 reward is being offered in this case. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department's TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411.
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