Nov 26, 2006 11:07 pm US/Central
Unsolved Murder Unites Family, Brings Tragedy
by Jim Williams
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
In this Cold Case, an unsolved murder has united a family, but also brought unexpected tragic consequences.
This is the story of Kevin Clewer.
"Nobody deserves to be murdered, but especially in this type of manner," said Det. Frank Esposito with the Chicago Police Department.
It was a gruesome murder.
"The man was stabbed to death 40 times," Esposito said.
Kevin Clewer was violently murdered in his apartment and no one knows why. His family is determined to find the killer, but that too would eventually take another devastating toll.
Clewer was gay. His older brother says he left Rockford for Chicago's Boystown neighborhood to finally find the freedom and belonging he desired.
"He did feel safe here. He felt this was an area he could live and feel comfortable and not have to worry or look over his shoulder," said his brother, Ron Clewer.
But as Kevin become more comfortable, he may have also become less careful.
"He'd met a young man and they got to talking," Ron Clewer said.
Police say the young man's name is Fernando -- a man Clewer and another friend met at a Halsted Street bar. He is described as a white Hispanic male, 5'7" 140 to 160 pounds, with a European Spanish accent.
"The witness saw Kevin and Fernando walk into the building," Esposito said.
That was at 4 a.m. -- the last time Clewer was seen alive. When he didn't show up for work the next day, his father went to the apartment and kicked the door down.
"He opened the door and saw Kevin on the floor," Ron Clewer said.
"I keep picturing how I found him," his father, Jim Clewer said.
The family soon channeled that grief into action, hitting the pavement and posting flyers everywhere
"We are in desperate need of help to find this person," said Clewer's mother, Pamela Cunningham.
Late nights, early mornings, working with police and the community, talking to reporters -- the family did all this while in mourning.
"You don't know how much this affects me. I can't sit still and do nothing. I have to be doing something," Jim Clewer said.
"I saw it drained my parents a lot," Ron said. "I was worried about dad… There were more lines in his face. There were more gray hairs."
"My mom aged a lot. She didn't look well," he added.
A year after Kevin's murder, their mother went to the hospital. She would not come home. She died of cancer. Two weeks later, their father died of a heart attack.
"I continued to push for a while, but then I realized how unhealthy it was. I still want answers, but I know that I need to do it in a way… that's not all consuming," Ron Clewer said.
And while Ron struggles to find balance in his life, Detective Esposito stares at the hundreds of pages in the Kevin Clewer file.
"I'm going to do everything I can, give 110 percent to try to find Kevin's killer," Esposito said.
Police want to talk to anybody who's ever had contact with Fernando. If you have information, call the Chicago Police Department at 312-744-8262.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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