Families frustrated as some homicides remain unsolved in Fort Pierce

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Despite an around-the-clock investigation, regulation enforcement officers in St. Lucie County nonetheless haven’t made an arrest in the lethal taking pictures in Fort Pierce per week in the past.

As the makeshift memorial for final week’s murder sufferer grows, so does the group concern, so does the group concern for locating the shooters.

Antonia Lezama is aware of the frustration.

She and her household are about to reside by the fourth anniversary of her sister’s death.

Elizabeth Granados was shot and killed by a drive-by shooter in February 2019 in a crime that remains unsolved.

“We thought we would have it by now,” she mentioned. “Definitely not a place you ever want to be in.”

Her household is just not alone.

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Contact 5 compiled numbers from the Gun Violence Archive, a nationwide database of all shootings reported to police.

Of the 21 homicides in and round Fort Pierce in the previous three years, regulation enforcement has not made an arrest in 11 of these instances.

That’s simply 48% of instances the place an accused felony has been charged, Florida’s price is 62%.

“I think it is not for a lack of effort by the law enforcement community up there,” Palm Beach County lawyer Stuart Kaplan mentioned.

Kaplan can be a former FBI agent as soon as stationed in Fort Pierce.

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Fort Pierce Police and The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office didn’t reply to WPTV’s request for remark, however Kaplan mentioned witnesses don’t all the time assist cops.

“The problem that they are being confronted with is the fear of anybody coming forward and being retaliated against for cooperating with law enforcement.”

Last week’s shooting death of Nikkitia Bryant at a vacation celebration struck a nerve with Lezama.

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Both victims have been moms of younger kids and never the meant targets of their shooters.

“You try to understand how somebody could see something and not speak up,” she mentioned. “Somebody’s family is torn apart, and they see that somebody’s family is torn apart, and they won’t speak up.”

Lezama believes the eye, and the sizeable regulation enforcement efforts in the Ellis Park taking pictures might result in an arrest quickly.

If that occurs Lezama is hopeful jittery witnesses may come ahead to assist regulation enforcement crack unsolved homicides, together with that of her personal sister.