Post by Scumhunter on Oct 9, 2017 1:20:02 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: East Idaho Cold Cases website)
From ktvb.com:
WILDER - Three decades later and still no closure with the biggest homicide case that Wilder has ever seen.
It has been nearly 30 years to the date and police are once again calling for the public's help in tracking down the suspect in a 1986 stabbing.
Law enforcement knows exactly who the suspect is: Jose Ballardo, a 5'5", 51-year-old man. They just don't know where Ballardo is.
"It still hurts 30 years later," Canyon County Sheriff Victim Witness Coordinator Aleshea L. Boals said.
With every year that passes, Casey Lenon can never forget that dreadful July day in 1986 - the day her son Gary was brutally stabbed to death.
"The hope that she has is that we can locate the suspect and hopefully bring him back to Idaho so that he can face this family and hear the hurt he has put them through," Boals added.
With every year that passes, Wilder Police Chief Dusty Tveidt says they don't give up.
"We want to bring that person to justice," he told KTVB. "We want to give that to the victim and the victim's family."
Officials say it can be one person, one phone call that's going to break this case. Law enforcement received tips several years ago, leading them to believe Ballardo ran off to Mexico.
"Our community is still talking about it, wondering where the person is and when the family will be able to put closure on it," Wilder resident Alice Reyes said.
The crime was shocking and worrisome for longtime residents in the tiny agricultural town.
"It was kind of devastating because there haven't been too many of those incidences in Wilder throughout the years," Reyes added.
Ballardo's warrant is still active, and the Lenons - alongside law enforcement - say they will continue searching for him until that warrant is served.
"It's tough but we take all the time that we can, spare time here and there," Chief Tveidt added. "We'll bring it back up, make phone calls to different agencies."
Since officials received those tips that Ballardo was in Mexico, they've been actively working with the country's government. But since 2008, law enforcement has not received any current tips or information at all.
Meanwhile, the Lenons are still seeking closure.
"I think sometimes it's hard to put it behind you and move forward with knowing that person is still out there on the loose," Chief Tveidt said.
Investigators say there are other challenges in this case: Mexico doesn't keep records the same way we do in the U.S, and finding witnesses and officers from 1986 is almost impossible.
But Chief Tveidt is optimistic that resources and technology available today could help link the suspect to the evidence.
If you have any information call Crime Stoppers at (208) 343-COPS or the Wilder Police Department at (208) 482-6401.
www.ktvb.com/mobile/article/news/crime/officials-seek-publics-help-in-cracking-cold-case-murder/251820975
East Idaho Cold Cases coverage: eastidahocoldcasesinc.com/gary-lenon-1986/
Thoughts? According to East Idaho Cold Cases, Gary Lenon was stabbed a total of 104 times. His mother believes a confrontation with Ballardo outside a store he owned may be a possible motive.
Over three decades is way too long to wait for justice. Let's hope that waiting ends soon even though it obviously has not been soon enough.
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