Family offering $25K reward in decades-old Merced cold case

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- Just days earlier the day of Stanley Howard's death, his household is speaking retired and calling for justice.

Howard was killed astir 39 years agone successful his Merced home, and his slayer is inactive connected the run.

Howard's decease has remained a enigma for astir 4 decades, but his household has not fixed up anticipation and is offering a caller $25,000 reward to find his killer.

The execution happened backmost connected June 22nd, 1986.

Stanley and his woman were dormant successful their Merced location connected Gerard Avenue erstwhile idiosyncratic broke successful and stabbed him successful his sleep.

A nightmare Brad Howard, Stan's younger brother, replays successful his head.

"There's a batch of small flashes of memories from that night," says Brad Howard.

He got the telephone conscionable aft 3:30 that morning, his ma connected the different enactment breaking the news.

"The ambulance was backing up, and that's what's successful my brain. You could spot the lights successful the ambulance, and you tin spot that you're conscionable looking implicit a assemblage and my dada saying that he's gone," said Howard.

Stan was his champion friend; the 2 brothers owned a cleaning work concern unneurotic and loved to fish.

"Makes your caput spin. Why? Why would idiosyncratic privation to bash this to a bully person? Who conscionable wants to assistance different people?" says Howard.

Still, 39 years later, Brad clings to anticipation that they'll find his brother's killer.

Detectives person tried caller exertion to reappraisal DNA samples, and present his household is offering a caller 25-thousand-dollar reward.

"I've ne'er mislaid hope, to beryllium honest. I've been told fto it go," says Howard, " I consciousness similar the Merced County Sheriff's Department and the DAs are benignant of connected the brink, but they conscionable don't person everything they request to adjacent it. There are a fewer suspects that are precocious connected our list, but I don't deliberation I should spell into item connected that for the probe purposes."

The lawsuit captivated the community. "Family antheral killed successful stabbing" was the header successful the Sun Star.

Shockwaves felt years later, taking neighbors by surprise.

"I would've ne'er assumed that happened truthful adjacent by. It's truly brainsick to hear," says Karen Jimenez, neighbor.

Mystery unsolved, coiled unhealed, but anticipation not lost.

"I ne'er hide it. I pray. There's not a time that goes by that I don't commune astir this. I commune for justice," says Howard.

For much accusation astir the reward, click here.

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