BY BOBBY HORN JR.
CROSBY Crime Stoppers and private sources have increased to $35,000 the reward offered to help find the killer of a Crosby woman who was fatally shot and then set on fire in the Galleria area last year.
Melanie Diane Parker, 21, was discovered in a bed at her apartment in the 2700 block of Briargrove on May 25, 2006 said Ray Wathen, communications manager for Crime Stoppers of Houston.
The apartment had been set on fire to cover the murder.
We have run every lead possible and come up empty, Wathen said. This may have been a crime of opportunity.
The announcement came during a press conference held Saturday at the First Baptist Church of Crosby.
A Crosby native, Parker was an engineering student at San Jacinto College.
This was a good kid, Wathen said. She was very close with her family. This has been a hard, hard thing for them.
Crime Stoppers had been offering a $5,000 reward.
Lets see if a little more money will help, Wathen said.
In addition to the press conference, Parkers family and friends held a personal health, safety and crime prevention fair during the morning. Events included presentations on safety, crime awareness and prevention, crisis intervention, child fingerprinting and other crime-related subjects.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.