WICHITA, Kansas -- Crime Stoppers has spent the last two months trying to generate new tips in some unsolved Wichita murders.
The organization has doubled its usual $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the cold cases.
"As a result of the attention given to these cases, new tips on three of the cases are currently being investigated by Wichita Police homicide detectives," said Crime Stoppers Executive Director Gordon Bassham. "Even if only one of these cases is solved this alone validates the cold case homicide reward program."
The last case being featured in the series of cold cases involves double homicides from 2009.
A large group of people had gathered at a home in the 2900 block of Dunham in southeast Wichita on January 24, 2009. They were there to mourn the death of the resident, 47-year-old Somphit "Sophie" Makthepharak, who had recently passed away from a heart attack.
Just before 9:30 p.m., witnesses saw two vehicles drive slowly eastbound by the house. People inside the vehicles fired shots towards people standing in the garage area.
When the shooting stopped, 17 people had been injured, either by direct hits or from ricocheted rounds.
Two of the people died, 66-year-old Keo Intavong and 22-year-old Jeffrey Chitanavong.
Police are still looking for the shooters, but they only have a brief description of one of the vehicles. It was a light-colored small four door vehicle.
"We encourage anyone with information about this or any felony crime to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously, either by phone at 316-267-2111, by text message by sending their tip to CRIMES (274637) and beginning their text message with TIP217, or on the web at www.wsccs.com. All ways are anonymous and no one will ever ask the name of the tipster," said Bassham.
