Police have renewed their appeal for information about the fatal shooting of Carolyn Hernandez, offering a reward of up to $2,000 more than two decades after she was found dead inside her home in Arizona’s Gila River Indian Community.
Hernandez was discovered with gunshot wounds in July 2004 and later died from her injuries. Detectives say no suspects have been identified and the investigation remains open.
Mike Fischer, a detective with the Phoenix Police Department, said investigators had followed every lead received so far but still needed help from the public.
“We don’t have any suspects at all,” he said. “Someone out there, 22 years later, they know what happened.”
The Gila River Police Department has also urged anyone with information to come forward, stressing that even a small detail could help detectives make progress and provide answers to Hernandez’s family.
Family still waiting for answers
Hernandez’s daughter, Mika, said the uncertainty had been particularly difficult for her family and that the renewed attention on the case meant a great deal to them.
“It’s been very hard, especially not knowing what happened,” she said. “Hopefully people talk. Someone might know something.”
She remembered her mother as funny, charismatic and happy, adding that people who knew her had always spoken warmly about her and her “big smile”.
Fischer said relatives of victims continued to suffer long after a case had faded from public attention, because they were still seeking an explanation for what happened to their loved one.
Anonymous information can be given to Silent Witness on 480-WITNESS, or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish-language callers. Tips may also be submitted online, and officials said callers could remain anonymous.
