GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A week before he died, Jason Salazar planted yellow tulips at his mother's house. Twenty years later, they still bloom.
"I can't believe 20 years have passed since it happened," Adda Addi-Taylor, Salazar's younger sister, said. "The pain, it never goes away."
On April 24, 2006, Salazar was shot and killed in his home in Grand Rapids in what police described as a robbery gone bad.
To this day, the 32-year-old's killing remains unsolved.
"I believe it in my heart, my soul, that this case can be solved," Addi-Taylor said. "Through God, I know this case will be solved and justice will prevail for my brother one day."
Twenty years later, Addi-Taylor is still telling stories about her brother.
"He was very fun-loving, had a real goofy sense of humor, just uniquely funny," she said, recalling how he nicknamed her "rat" and pulled pranks at high school.
"Just a jokester," she said.
On the 24th day of every month, Addi-Taylor lights candles in memory of Salazar. If still alive today, he would be a grandpa. His daughter, who was seven when he was killed, has a son who will soon celebrate his first birthday. Addi-Taylor's own children bear parts of Salazar's name, too.
"Through God, we deal with it and we get through it as the years pass," she said. "But that pain, it never goes away."
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In a statement, Grand Rapids Police Department Capt. John Bylsma said, "Jason’s loved ones deserve answers. If anyone has any information, no matter how inconsequential it may seem, we want to know about it."
"We will follow up on any and all new potential leads that could help bring to justice and a sense of closure for this family."
If you have information on the death of Jason Salazar, call GRPD detectives at 616-456-3380 or submit an anonymous tip through Silent Observer.
