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Family waiting for answers two years after father and philanthropist's murder

Glenn Cofield was shot to death leaving a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It's been two years since Houston Cofield's father, philanthropist Glenn Cofield, was murdered after returning from a St. Jude fundraiser. 

"I think you don’t realize how vulnerable you are until you are impacted," Cofield said. 

Memphis Police said the shooting happened during an attempted robbery. With several leads and no results, Cofield hopes his father's case still be solved. 

"I think it would bring some closure," Cofield said. "Obviously, it doesn’t bring my dad back to know who murdered him but certainly, we would like to see the case closed and see somebody arrested and held responsible."

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reports a 5% drop in violent crime, such as rape and murder, from 2019 to 2020. While it may be down across Tennessee, homicides in Memphis continue to rise with at least 161 so far this year. 

"I think there’s a lot of violence in the city that goes unchecked and I think our police force is overwhelmed by it," Cofield said. 

CrimeStoppers of Memphis and Shelby County has even doubled their reward from $1,000 to $2,000 for successful tips to encourage people to come forward with answers to these homicides. 

The Crime Stoppers reward for Cofield's murder is $26,000 through private donations. Cofield said while we might all be aware of the crime in Memphis, he won't take his safety for granted. 

"Definitely just a heightened sense of awareness of your own personal safety," Cofield said.

For any homicide in Memphis and Shelby County, like Cofield's, you're encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.

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