As the parent of a murdered child, your heart is already broken. But as the months turn into a year, and that turns into years, it multiplies the pain to know the killer continues to roam the streets as a free citizen living his best life.
On July 5, 2024, it will be seven long years since my son was murdered, and my son’s killer still has not been charged. Although the streets know and are talking, it’s not enough to convict him at this time. This person has been arrested in the past and questioned but seems to get back out into society to continue his killing spree. At this time, he is on Philadelphia Most Wanted list (not shown below), wanted for yet again another murder.
I’m not alone. Thousands of murders have gone unsolved in Philadelphia, and I know detectives have a lot on their plate. But I’m not the only one who feels that detectives can act as if you’re bothering them if you call to ask for an update on a child’s case.
They may say, “Didn’t I tell you I would call you when I get information or something new to tell you? Do you have any new information on your child’s case? Ok, contact me once you do.”
A lot of the detectives are very dismissive and will rush you off the phone. This makes the parent feel like they shouldn’t have called in the first place, that the city doesn’t care, that their child meant nothing to nobody or their child is just a number and statistic.
None of us asked for our new journey that we face each day. We are broken and some may even have shattered hearts as we hold onto our faith and hope that our child’s killer will soon be caught and off the streets so they can’t commit more crimes or murders.
But solving crimes doesn’t fall only on detectives. They can only do so much when we’re living in a time where people who know what happened refuse to speak up. It’s understandable that so many people are afraid to speak up because they fear for their safety, but there’s no excuse for not talking because they don’t want to lose their street credibility. Too many people are dying, and there are too many fatherless children are in this world. Philadelphia, speak up!
So many parents threaten their children not to come forward as a witness by talking down to them and calling them snitches, saying “What will others think about you?” Or they will bribe them with money, clothes, sneakers etc, so they will not to talk to the police. We must stop using this mentality and way of teaching our children who are our future. We want them to live and fulfill their lives and give them a chance.
I will also use this platform to highlight some of the perpetrators listed on Philadelphia Most Wanted to hopefully get some of these murderers off of the streets of Philadelphia so they won’t kill again and parents will stop hiding wanted fugitives in their homes, relatives, or friend’s homes putting others at risk or in danger of being murdered.
If you know where a fugitive is hiding and is reluctant to turn them in because of retaliation one can always submit a tip anonymously. I tell people to go to the library out of your neighborhood and submit that tip through their website.
If you don’t wish to use your email address, make up a new one and submit that tip. If you prefer to use a phone, get a prepaid phone, or find a phone booth and submit that tip to remain anonymous. Also on the website, it states you will remain anonymous.
A reward of up to $20,000 if available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for this murder. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS or by filling out the form on Philadelphia’s Most Wanted.
Kimberly Kamara is the author of “Where’s My Daddy,” a children’s book aimed at kids who’ve lost a parent to murder. The book was inspired by her family’s continuing journey of grief after her son, Niam Johnson-Tate, lost his life to gun violence on July 5, 2017. Kimberly has two daughters and lives in Germantown with her husband.
Leave a Reply