Slain SIUC student Marcus Thomas frequently visits his grandmother to tell her that he's not at peace and won't be until his killer is brought to justice.
Opaline Williams has prayed for an entire year, hoping that police silence Marcus' cries. The 21-year-old SIUC student was found shot to death in Carbondale's housing projects on March 17, 2001.
Marcus' family continues to wait for answers, hoping that one day someone will deliver the information to police that will allow the killer to be caught.
Information is something that hasn't come easily to police in this case. It took several hours for police to discover that Marcus had been killed because neighbors didn't call them when gunshots were fired, and everything from lying witnesses to false tips have plagued the investigation ever since.
Carbondale Police Chief R.T. Finney wants the public to know that solving murders, such as Marcus', requires cooperation between the police and the community. We cannot expect the police to catch killers when we as a community do not provide them with what they need.
In this case, we have not done our job. The Daily Egyptian believes that there are people in this community who know the identity of Marcus Thomas' killer. Police have been receiving tips about the crime ever since it occurred. Finney said detectives got one as late as two weeks ago.
Marcus was known by many at SIUC and other people, in addition to his family, would like to see this case solved. But some people in Carbondale have refused to help achieve that cause. Why?
Perhaps people are afraid that harm might come to them. Maybe there's people out there who don't like the police. Regardless, there is no excuse that can justify allowing a killer to roam free.
Whoever shot and killed Marcus Thomas can easily commit the same crime again. If that happens, the people who could have stopped it from occurring will have blood on their hands.
The Daily Egyptian urges anyone who has new information about this crime to contact the Carbondale Police Department at 549-2677. This newspaper has taken special interest in Marcus' death because we recognize what happened to him can happen to anyone, and that allowing this crime to remain unsolved puts each and every one of us in danger.
Those who have already spoken with police should think long and hard about the information they provided. Did you tell detectives everything you knew? Is there something you know, even a small detail, that you might have left out that can shed light on what happened in the early hours of March 17 last year?
The Carbondale Police Department should also keep Marcus' case as their number one priority. His family deserves to know the name of his killer. Do not let this murder become another Pyramid Fires or Connie Cole-Holmes case that goes unsolved for years.
Opaline Williams knows in her heart that someone involved in her grandson's murder will come forward with information. She has faith in humanity and believes that the people who are allowing Marcus' killer to stay on the streets do so because of fear.
"I know that one of these days people are going to have enough," Opaline said. "They're going to say enough is enough and whoever did this will be caught."
We need to make an effort to make sure her belief is not a dream.
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
