TUSCUMBIA, Ala. — It’s been more than 18 months since 83-year-old Mary Malone was found murdered inside her Davis Court home in Tuscumbia.
With seemingly no answers or leads in the case, the matriarch’s family is hoping that financial compensation will encourage someone with information to speak up.
“I’m just kind of frustrated; I’m trying not to just give up hope because it’s been a year and a half and we don’t have any answers,” Malone’s granddaughter Toccara Willis said. “I just feel like if it was somebody else’s mother, grandmother—put yourself in our shoes and I know you would want answers.”
Willis is offering a $5,000 reward for information that moves the investigation forward. One of Malone’s great-nephews is offering an additional $500.
“It’s coming strictly out of our pocket from the family,” Willis said. “The detective that’s on the case now, he’s working to try to see if he can get additional funding. The state usually gives $5,000 so I told him that I would match that $5,000, so we eventually hope to have a total of $10,000.”
Willis said it’s disheartening that money has to be used to encourage people to speak up, “At this point, me and my family, we are going to do what we need to do to try to get some justice, try to get some closure.”
Willis relates the ongoing investigation to a bad injury that doesn’t heal but you can help the family find that closure by calling the Shoals Area CrimeStoppers anonymous tip line at (256) 386-8685.
In addition to the family’s reward, CrimeStoppers is also offering a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest.
You can also submit an anonymous tip using the P3 Tips app for Apple and Android devices.