Reward in Clearwater couple's murders rises to $28,000
CLEARWATER (FOX 13) - Drivers in the Bay Area will start seeing billboards asking for information about the homicide of a Clearwater couple.
On Wednesday, the Clearwater Police Department announced it is partnering with Outfront Media to put up billboards in high-traffic areas to ramp up efforts to find the person responsible for killing David Swan, 88, and his wife, Mina Swan, 80, in their Flushing Avenue home.
The couple's bodies were discovered on September 29. The crime shook their children’s lives and disturbed the community.
“My heart has been ripped out. It’s just devastating,” said John Wolf, Mina’s son.
Not knowing who is responsible for killing the couple is unbearable for Mina’s children.
“The closure is very important,” said Noel Devine, Mina’s daughter. “Mom was such a good person. She didn’t deserve this.”
Police believe the Swans were targeted, but detectives and family are searching for answers.
“We’ve been desensitized to it until it happens close to home. And once it does, it gives you a lot more sympathy for people who have to go through this,” said Wolf.
The billboards are important to the families of Mina and David Swan, offering up $25,000 for information leading to an arrest. Pinellas County Crime Stoppers also put up $3,000 of reward money for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
“We have a chance to reach a lot of people who may be sitting in traffic and may not have thought about this. But, to us, this is so important. It’s the most important thing,” said Devine.
Figuring out what happened is also a priority for the case’s lead detective Brian Kanicki of the Clearwater Police Department. Kanicki, said he’s interviewed more than 100 people, and they are following up leads. But they need much more.
“It could be the smallest bit of information. It could seem irrelevant to the person at that time, but it’s those little pieces of information that help put the puzzle together for us,” said Kanicki.
And while others reunite with families on Thanksgiving, it’s a difficult time of year of those dealing with the horrific loss of a loved one.
“For us, it’s not so much of a holiday this year. We’ll get back to holidays one day. In the meantime, we have memories to hold on to,” said Devine.
Those memories are all they have to help them through their immense pain.
“It’s surreal. It’s someone else’s nightmare,” said Wolf. “I keep thinking we’re going to wake up, and it’ll be gone. But no, every day it’s still here.”
Police plan to put up more billboards in the Bay Area, hoping someone calls the tip line at 727-562-4141 with any information related to the case.