May 6, 2007 8:09 pm US/Central
Cold Case: Young Man Gunned Down By Gang
by Jim Williams
Aurora, Ill. (CBS) ―
It started out as a group of friends having a party on a summer night, but it ended when gunmen blindly opened fire, thinking they were shooting at the enemy.
As CBS 2's Jim Williams reports, one of those bullets took the life of Jeff Signorelli, a young Aurora man.
In a living room in Aurora, the photos show every stage of a boy's life. When he was a toddler until shortly before he died at 18, Jeff Signorelli was his parent's only child.
"Somebody had asked me when he was rather young to describe him and it was the first time I ever had that question," said Mary Ann Signorelli, Jeff's mother. "I wound up saying he was a very gentle soul."
In the summer before he was to start college, Jeff had a job with the Aurora Park District. Every Thursday night, he got together with work friends. On July 11, 2002, they were inside a garage.
"When this happened, a fence was not there at the time. There was an empty lot right over this way and on that particular night it was dark out," said Aurora Police Detective Jeff Sherwood.
Police believe three gang members walked across the lot and blindly opened fire.
"They assumed it was rival gang members and took an opportunity and cowardly walked up and shot into the back of the wall here," said Sherwood.
Jeff was not a member of a gang. But he was killed and another young man was wounded.
"When the phone rings at 11:30, your heart stops," said Mary Ann Signorelli. "You don't know who it is going to be, but chances are it's not going to be 'Hi, how are you doing.'"
"To hear that kind of thing, it doesn't sink in. it is so unbelievable," said Albert Signorelli, Signorelli's father.
After shooting, the assailants ran off. Police insist they know who killed Jeff, but they need a witness to testify.
Jeff's mother actually had a conversation with one person who police say could solve the case.
"And I remember saying to her, 'are you more afraid of living or are you more afraid of dying?' and she still hasn't come forward," said Mary Ann Signorelli.
"I'm not sure which would be the worse situation: not knowing anything or knowing what we know and nothing happening," said Albert Signorelli.
Still, Jeff's parents and Aurora Police continue to appeal for help.
"We keep preaching patience, but certainly anyone's patience is going to be wearing thin. It's been five years and that's five years too long," said Sherwood.
"People talk about closure and justice," said Mary Ann Signorelli. "There's no closure. There's no more closure that burying your child."
Anyone with information about Jeff's murder should call the Aurora Police Department at (630) 801-6567 or call the Aurora-area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000. Callers to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and qualify for a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect or suspects responsible.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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