Having hit a dead end in their search for the killer of Terron “Demi” Hooper, the West Wendover police Department is hoping money may work where shoe leather can’t.
Last week the WWPD announced that is was offering a $2500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the hit and run driving who left the 22 year old Salt Lake City dead in the middle of Wendover Boulevard the victim of a hit and run.
Seven months later police are no closer to catching his killer as they were when they when the body was discovered.
According to the crime scene diagram Hooper was struck while in the middle of Wendover Boulevard by a west bound vehicle near the Va Va Voom adult video/sexual products store at around 1 am early Sunday morning.
Hooper had been celebrating with friends at a night club in the Crossroads Plaza shopping mall. It was the young man’s 22nd birthday.
According to reports a passing taxicab driver saw the body of Hooper lying in the street about 1:45 a.m., police wrote in a news release. Hooper appeared to have been hit by a vehicle, police wrote.
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Hooper’s body was found in the middle of the road while his belongings were scattered up to 20 feet away.
A week after his death police announced that they had impounded a car that might have been involved in the killing, later forensic test revealed no evidence linking the vehicle to the death and the car was released back to it owner.
The lack of progress in the case has frustrated Hooper’s family which from the first weeks after the killing frequently criticized the West Wendover Police Department for giving minimal attention to the crime.
“It’s been left up to me and my daughter and my son’s father to find out who killed my son,” said Demi’s mother, Shasta Hooper told KSL TV in October a little over a month after her son’s killing.
Adding to her devastation and frustration, she told the Salt Lake Television station, West Wendover police haven’t done much to find the driver. “I’ve been told it’s basically a cold case. No leads, no skid marks, no paint, no anything.”
David Wiskerchen, the spokesman for the WWPD has consistently denied the charges that Hooper’s case was not getting the resources it deserved and as late as last month insisted that the case was not cold.
The offering of the reward might however indicate otherwise.
“It isn’t a reflection on the police department.” said one law enforcement officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “But an offer of a reward is kind of like a Hail Mary pass in football. If the killer is caught it wont be due to good old fashion police work or hi tech sleuthing but because someone who knows him tells either for money or revenge or both.”
Hit and run cases are notoriously difficult to solve and police have the best chance of catching the killer in the first few days of crime. Usually if the cases are solved it is by a call from a neighbor, mechanic or body shop who are both aware of the crime and notice damage to the vehicle.
As time passes however the chances of finding the culprit greatly diminish. And without a clue as to the make or model of the vehicle that struck Hooper those chances grow slimmer still.
Hooper’s is not the only violent crime in West Wendover with a victim but without suspects. The WWPD is still looking for a lead in the robbery and attempted murder of a Wendover man this January.
in fact i am the mother of this young man,,and it has been left up to me and my family and friends to find who killed my son,,,in 7 mo i have made sevral request to the police to make media pleas pass flyers or just give a damn,,my son was a good man ,,who took care of his handicapped sister and was out there to have fun and lost his life the lack of concern by the police department has pushed me to the point of madness ,,the media wasnt beacuse they cared its beacuse i asked them ,,in fact sevral times ,,7months go by ,,and i have to call the city director to help me to mget things done ,,,FINALLY SOMEONE CARED AND LISTENED TO ME ,,THIS WAS UNFORUNATLY IT TOOK ME GETTING MAD,,FOR THEM TO DO THERE JOB,,BUT AT LEAST THEY ARE STARTING TO DO SOMTHING,,SINCERLY DEMIS MOM