Murder Victim's Family Pleads For Answers In Cold Case
DENVER (CBS4) - A mother is pleading for answers 11 years after her son was gunned down in Denver's Five Points neighborhood.
The gunman who killed Bruce Harrell, 21, has never been caught.
His family hopes the cold case will heat up.
It was a cold day in 2006 when the George Washington High School graduate was shot to death while he was stopped at a red light on 30th Avenue and Downing Street.
On Nov. 1, 2017, Harrell's family will celebrate his 33rd birthday without him.
In advance of the memorial celebration, they reached out to CBS4 to ask for the public's help to catch his killer.
"I need your help," said Dianne Harrell, the victim's mother.
She said the ongoing nightmare-like loss of her son is even harder without knowing who killed him.
Harrell, an award-winning and musically gifted college student, was studying business at Johnson and Wales University in Denver when he lost his life on Jan. 11, 2006. The date also happened to be his mother's birthday.
"This is not something that goes away. It hurts and it lives within you every day," a sobbing Dianne told CBS4's Melissa Garcia.
The tragic loss has also weighed heavily on the heart of Harrell's older brother Anthony Farmer.
"As an older brother, you feel a certain level of protection owed to your younger sibling," Farmer said. "You feel to blame almost because you weren't there to do something to stop it or help."
Harrell had just come from a Denver Nuggets game, Dianne said, and had then picked up a friend from a nightclub in Five Points who needed a ride home. She says that's when the suspect vehicle pulled up next to Harrell at a stoplight.
According to Denver police, the gunman got out and fired shots, shooting both Harrell and his passenger.
Harrell tried to drive the two to safety, but smashed into several other cars before passing away.
So far, the suspect has eluded police.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation lists the crime as a cold case. Family members believe that someone knows something that could help to solve it.
"To this point, justice has been delayed, but hopefully it will not be denied," said Farmer, who works as an attorney in Dallas.
"I'm asking for someone to have some compassion," Dianne added. "And if it was you, what would you do? I'm hurting. I want justice for my son."
Denver police could not provide an update on the case but urged anyone with information to call the Denver Police Department at 720-913-2000 or the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 720-913-STOP (7867).
Callers can remain anonymous and may receive a reward up to $2,000.
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.
