WSVN — Darryl Singleton: "Justice for my baby brother!"
The last time Darryl Singleton was in the news, he was talking about the death of his brother.
Darryl Singleton: "It's time for everything to come to the light, you know what I'm saying? It's been a long time."
Watching this video today is eerie because now it's Darryl that has been gunned down, and it's Darryl's killer that his family is trying to track down.
Trishinda Singleton: "We still have a long way to go because our focus is to bring whoever is responsible for the murder of Darryl to justice."
In April 2009, Darryl was riding his bike home from work in Liberty City when neighbors heard gunshots. This is what police found when they got there.
Miami-Dade Police Detective David Denmark: "He was riding his bike eastbound on Northwest 54th Street when he was approached by an unknown amount of people and shot to death."
Patrick Fraser: "Shot once?"
Miami-Dade Police Detective David Denmark: "No. Multiple times, and that was all upper body."
The killer or killers didn't take Darryl's wallet, keys or cell phone. They just took off.
Tiffany Singleton: "Someone just shot him down. They just shot him down and left him for dead. Shot him down like an animal."
These were the last moments in Darryl's life, but these are the moments that Darryl Singleton's family will always remember.
Trishinda Singleton: "I mean, everybody loved being around him. He was the life of the party. Very passionate guy. Loved his family. Loved his kids. Just a people's person."
A loving man, a repsonsible man, who took his family and his job as a custodian with Miami-Dade Schools seriously.
Trishinda Singleton: "He always considered himself a 'working man,' somebody that's truly into his job."
And it was coming home from his job that led to Darryl's death. One gun killed him, but police believe there was more than one gunman there.
Miami-Dade Police Detective David Denmark: "At the time of his death, his murder, there were several robberies in that area involving different groups of males, and we think that might be linked to also his murder. That's why we're speculating probably more than one person."
Darryl's family was devastated but determined to help catch the killer. They started this Facebook page where family and friends could remember him and leave a clue about his killers if they wanted. They also rented a billboard asking for someone to call police, but so far no breaks in the case.
Tiffany Singleton: "They have this saying in the 'hood: 'If you see something, hear something, say nothing.' The street is silent. It's not only because of Darryl's murder. Alot of people are scared."
Tiffany is right. In Liberty City, people are told to shut up, don't say anything, and so more Darryl Singletons are shot. More killers walk away, free to ruin more lives, and the Singletons are tired of it.
Trishinda Singleton: "If we can catch this murderer, maybe there would be one less murderer on the street."
The family stays in constant contact with detectives investigating the case and discovered they have something in common: they are tired of the silence, too.
Miami-Dade Police Detective David Denmark: "It's rough. Actually, it motivates me as an investigator to continuously make contact with the family and actually walk the streets, because once you're out on the streets talking to people, that's when the streets start talking back."
Someone knows something about the night Darryl was gunned down on his bicycle.
Trishinda Singleton: "Take a stand, not only for another family; take a stand for yourself and your communities, because right now it's like we're letting ourselves down."
Take a stand. Make a phone call. If not for Darryl, to make sure someone you care about is not the next victim.
Tiffany Singleton: "For people out there: What if it was your brother, your cousin, your family member? Think about that. Please please call Crime Stoppers!"
Darryl was a father. Now his kids don't have a dad. The only thing that someone can give his family is a phone call to get Darryl's killer off the street and to save someone else's life. If you know something about Darryl Singleton's murder on April 13th, 2009, call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers.
Justice for Darryl is justice for everyone.
And if you have lost a loved one, if you want to remind people you are still Out For Justice, give us a call.
Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers: 305-471-TIPS (8477)Out For Justice: 305-598-HELP (4357) in Miami-Dade or 954-796-HELP (4357) in Broward