$28K reward offered in 24-year old Clearwater cold case

CLEARWATER (FOX 13) - Twenty Four years still feels like 24 hours ago for Joan Blue.

May 24th, 1992 - 15-year-old Melanie Warren was sitting on a friend's porch in Clearwater when a car drove by, spraying bullets. 

The high school freshman was an innocent victim.

"I see my beautiful daughter, very smart, and she would've had a chance to do many things... and she was cut short," Blue said. "If you lose children, that is not a wound that can be healed."

Now, the case is back open. Clearwater PD detective Michael Hasty hopes to job some memories and find a lead to break this case open.

"The case was vigorously investigated early on and, ultimately, leads were exhausted. Case went cold," Hasty explained.  "I've been re-interviewing some of the people that were interviewed in '92, and interviewing new people."

Detective Hasty said the missing piece is out there, but he needs some help finding it.

"In this particular case, physical evidence does exist. Because it has been 24 years, this case could really use a witness coming forward," he said.

"It would be a relief to know who did this and I know more than one person knows who did this," Blue added.

They say time heals all wounds, but not this one.

There is a total of $28,000 in reward money for information that leads to an arrest.