The FBI has established a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the men who killed Bryan McKemy in August 2018 as he worked on the renovation of a house on Woodlea Avenue in northeast Baltimore. Bryan was 27 years old, an innocent bystander. Police believe that the two gunmen who killed Bryan were after the man who owned the house; he was apparently inside at the time. Bryan might have been caught in a crossfire.
I wrote a column on this that pretty much went viral the day it posted on baltimoresun.com.
Getting the reward announced on digital billboards around Baltimore should help the FBI and Baltimore police identify the killers, though even $25,000 rewards are no guarantee. Witnesses might be tempted to come forward for the money, but they also need to feel comfortable and safe in doing so; witness intimidation and the pressure not to snitch are common obstacles to successful prosecutions, particularly of those who are organized in some way or members of gangs.
Based on what Bryan’s dad, Scottt McKemy, was told shortly after his son’s death, it is possible that, as of this writing, the man who drove the getaway car is already in prison after pleading guilty to unrelated charges in Baltimore County. As for the two who did the shooting, apparently the FBI has suspects.
“After two years, we have developed several leads, but we need the public’s help in providing us with the final clues to hold his killer or killers responsible and give Bryan’s family the justice that they deserve,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Boone said in a statement on Friday, the anniversary of Bryan’s death. “We are hoping that this reward money will convince someone to come forward to ensure those responsible will never be in a position to hurt anyone else.”
Anyone with information on Bryan McKemy’s murder is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-225-5324. Ask about witness protection; the feds are pretty good on that.
Dan Rodricks 