PHOENIX — Two Valley families are looking for closure after weeks of no leads in the deaths of two men who were found shot dead inside a car in west Phoenix.
Kyle Ford, 23, and Gage Neal-Belunas, 20 were later identified as the victims by the police.
“Sometimes he would re-sell shoes and things like that,” said Gage’s mother, Charlene Belunas. “He had a wonderful laugh, a wonderful smile, and a really big heart.”
Belunas said Gage loved soccer and volunteered at soup kitchens. Even as he got older, he made an effort to spend time and bond with his 4-year-old sister.
On March 17, both Kyle and Gage were found dead inside a car at a parking lot near Interstate-17 and Peoria Avenue, Phoenix police said. Both sustained gunshot wounds.
“He’s that person you always want around you,” said Kyle's father, Clifford Ford. “Doesn’t matter how bad your day is, or say you’re driving and get a flat tire, he will turn that into a good time.”
The oldest of four siblings, Kyle's dad described him as always willing to lend a hand.
“These boys had really big dreams,” he added. “They were going to go somewhere and it’s just so unfortunate.”
A deal gone bad?
Ford and Neal-Belunas' parents believe their deaths might have been a bad deal gone wrong.
The two liked to sell items and worked to build a personal brand and grow their business, according to their parents.
“At one time [Kyle] started with a fitted ball cap and traded his way up to a BMW that he gave his mother,” Ford said. “So, he does meet people all the time in places and it’s dangerous.”
Police said the lead-up to the double homicide investigation started in an apartment complex near the parking lot around 5 p.m.
Since then, investigators have not arrested anyone in connection to the case.
Family and friends held fundraising events and raised money to increase the Silent Witness reward to $20,000, they hope this will lead to information that can break the case.
“Anything at time point will help because we have nothing, so anybody making a call to silent witness or to the police department and just sharing whatever information they have would really help,” said Belunas.
The families have partnered with a local non-profit to honor their son’s memory, you can help make a donation on behalf of their name here.
“Seeing my son’s picture on a flier just breaks my heart. I never thought I would be here and I hope nobody ever has to,” Ford said.
Silent Witness:
Arizona's Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities.
The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media.
Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program's website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous.
Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case.
Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000.
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