Nearly two years after a 63-year-old man was shot and killed while out for an evening walk in northeast Edmonton, a reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest in the case.
On May 27, 2016, Gherezghiher (Gary) Yemane was found lying on a sidewalk in the area of Ozerna Road, between 69 Street and 165 Avenue. He was declared dead at the scene.
Yemane was a nurse and father a of three who emigrated to Canada in 1984 from Africa. On Friday, his youngest daughter said her family continues to live through the nightmare of losing him.
“The pain we feel as a family is indescribable,” 24-year-old Winta Berhane said. “My brothers and I miss our dad deeply. Our mother lost her husband, her best friend, her life partner, a man filled with love, joy and compassion for his family, community and people as a whole.”
The shooting happened at around 8:45 p.m., when it was still daylight outside. At the time, police said there were a number of pedestrians who may have witnessed the shooting, or events related to it.
Nearly two years later, homicide detectives continue to investigate Yemane’s death. A reward of up to $80,000 is now available for information that leads to an arrest in the homicide. $40,000 was offered by the police and on Friday, Yemane’s family said they would match that amount.
On Friday, Staff Sgt. Bill Clark with the Edmonton Police Service called the incident a “cold-blooded killing” and once again urged witnesses to come forward.
“Sometimes, in the initial stages of violent crimes such as this one, witnesses may fear for their own safety, and we understand that,” he said.
“However, we are now two years removed from this random shooting death, so we’re hopeful that the reward moneys will encourage someone to come forward with information. This family deserves some peace. The loss of their father and husband, who by all accounts was a model citizen, has left them understandably traumatized.”
Yemane volunteered for multiple causes throughout his life and helped spearhead a project that brought stem-cell donations to Canadian Blood Services from the African, Caribbean and Afro-Canadian community.
Berhane said her father was known to everyone as a nice guy whose intentions and actions were always pure.
“He believed in treating everyone with respect, and in turn, they would hopefully reciprocate. That was our dad,” she said. “He was an amazing human being with a heart of gold.”
Police said Friday they have identified a black Dodge Charger as the suspect vehicle. A photo captured from surveillance footage has been provided by police below.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.
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