Photo: WGRZ.com
His case remains unsolved.
By Samantha Maffucci — Written on May 21, 2019
In 2006, there were 12,791 instances of gun violence that resulted in homicide in the United States. And the numbers are only increasing. In 2011, firearms were used in 68 percent of murders, and if you’ve watched the news, the debate over gun control has dominated the news cycle nearly every week.
Given these statistics, it’s no wonder investigators and police are so overwhelmed with trying to solve thousands of cases over the years. But for the family of one man, it’s not a good enough excuse.
Who killed Neval Fonville? It’s a question his mother and family have been trying to answer for almost 13 years now.
On June 4th, 2006, 23-year-old Neval was shot three times in the torso while sitting outside his home in a vehicle. He was rushed to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, New York, but later died from his injuries.
No suspects or clues have been found, and according to the police report, there is little information about evidence that was recovered at the crime scene. And the worst part? His mother believes the police have given up on finding his killer.
Jaqueline Croom recalled the moment she found out her son was dead, saying, “‘I just want to tell you I love you,’ he said, ‘I love you too, ma.’ And we hung up, and within three hours he was murdered...When I get to the hospital, I wasn’t even there a minute and they said he’s gone, and I said gone where? I can remember backing up and then falling down.”
She’s also given up relying on the police to solve the murder: “They never called back, they haven’t called back to the day, not that month, I'm talking to the day. I called and I called... The police I couldn’t really blame them because it was so overwhelming. When they got one Friday, there was one Saturday. When they came Saturday, there was another that Thursday. It was terrible,” she said, referencing the out of control gun violence in Buffalo, New York that year.
After the death of her son, as well as the growing number of murders in the city, she was overcome with pain. “Every child became mine, every hurt, every mother went through became mine,” she remembered.
This led her to join the PEACE organization, which stands for Parents Encouraging Accountability and Closure for Everyone; it’is an advocacy group for victims of violence. A few months after Neval’s murder, she joined a rally in the streets of Buffalo. The goal was to raise awareness about the state of emergency Buffalo is in, and the protestors called on the mayor to deal with the homicide rate.
Still, Neval’s murder remains unsolved.
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.