A shooter who murdered an elderly man in Ohio and then uploaded a video of the crime on Facebook remained on the loose Tuesday as authorities pursued tips from as far away as Texas.
Despite a $50,000 reward, police appeared no closer to apprehending the suspect, 37-year-old Steve Stephens, who has been described as armed and dangerous.
Stephens is accused of fatally shooting Robert Godwin Sr in Cleveland, Ohio as the 74-year-old grandfather was walking home from Easter Sunday dinner.
Stephens allegedly videotaped his actions and published it on Facebook, along with another video threatening to kill others and claiming he had already killed 13 people.
Authorities said Godwin is the only known victim despite an extensive investigation into Stephens´s claims to have killed others.
Stephens´s photo has gone up on billboards and more than 400 tips have poured in to authorities. But they have been unable to narrow a search that has now gone nationwide.
“When people go on the run like this, at some point in time, they need help,” Cleveland police chief Calvin Williams told a news conference Tuesday.
“The only assistance in this case is to call us and let us know where this person is so we could resolve this,” he said.
The car Stephens is thought to be driving, a white Ford Fusion, does not contain GPS tracking devices, authorities said.
They raised the possibility that Stephens might be dead.
“There´s two things. Either he´s dead somewhere or someone is holding him up somewhere else in a house,” said Peter Elliott of the US Marshals Service, which has joined the search along with the FBI and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The FBI put Stephens on its Most Wanted list.
Members of the city´s clergy asked Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson to convey their desire to help Stephens, should he want to seek out their counsel.
And members of Godwin´s family, speaking on CNN, said they offered their forgiveness.
“I don´t want that man to die, I want him brought to justice,” one of his sons, Robby Miller, said.
“One thing I do want to say, is that I forgive (the killer).” (AFP)
