Eight years after two brothers were shot and killed in broad daylight, Columbia Police are still searching for answers

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Wednesday marks eight years since two half-brothers were shot and killed in broad daylight along I-70 Drive N.W. and Garden Drive in Columbia.

According to the Columbia Police Department, at 12:45 p.m. on Sunday, March 26, 2017, officers responded to northwest Columbia and found three men shot inside a white 2007 Audi SUV riddled with bullets.

Twenty-six-year-old Milwaukee resident Jeffery D. Jones was pronounced dead at the scene and 32-year-old Columbia man Michael J. Walker Jr. was pronounced dead at a hospital. A third man -- police haven't named him publicly -- suffered serious injuries but survived.

Video of the crime scene shows at least 14 evidence markers as well as a damaged window on the driver's side of the SUV. People in the area who ABC 17 News spoke to at the scene reported hearing two bursts of gunfire.

"Typically, this is a pretty quiet area that doesn't have a lot of violent crime to my knowledge," CPD Lt. Matt Gremore told ABC 17 News in a recent interview.

Gremore recalls a sunny Sunday afternoon when the shooting happened.

"I was one of the people that was called in back when that happened," Gremore said. "There was a whole lot of people that were called in at the time."

He estimates 15-20 officers worked the scene along I-70 Drive N.W. that afternoon.

Not much information has been publicly released about the double-homicide case. Due to this being an active investigation, Lt. Gremore said he could not reveal:

• How many suspects police are seeking;
• How the suspects arrived at the scene;
• If more than one gun was used;
• Types of evidence collected;
• Number of shell casings at the scene.

ABC 17 News spoke last week to a few people who live close to the crime scene. They said they either didn't live there in 2017 or were not home at the time of the shooting.

A day before the anniversary of the double homicide, ABC 17 News spoke to Amy Scott over the phone. Scott is the mother of three of Walker Jr.'s children.

"He treated his kids like they were on a pedestal," Scott said.

She spoke fondly of family Sundays when they would all get together and play cards and barbecue. Scott said half-brothers Jones and Walker Jr. were close and grew up in Chicago.

Eventually, Scott said, Walker's father moved to Columbia.

During his time in Columbia, Walker Jr. had several interactions with the judicial system. According to online court records, Walker Jr. was convicted of multiple gun and drug charges.

The Missouri Department of Corrections said Walker Jr. was incarcerated in state facilities from July 11, 2007-Feb. 27, 2009, for drug distribution.

DOC spokesperson Karen Pojmann said Walker Jr. was incarcerated from Sept. 15, 2010-April 7, 2011, for a parole violation.

The weekend of March 26, 2017, Scott said Jones was visiting Columbia and attended a concert with Walker Jr. On the way back to the airport that Sunday, Walker Jr., Jones and a third man made a stop along the way. Around 12:45 p.m., the shooting happened.

Scott said that cash and a Rolex were left behind inside the vehicle. Columbia police have not revealed a possible motive for the shooting.

Gremore said after nearly a decade, some helpful tips on the case have come in, but police need the community's help to solve the case.

"A good portion of it comes down to talking to the community, working together to get those answers," Gremore said. "I would be very doubtful that no one knows what happened."

Gremore said keeping in touch with the families who have lost loved ones is important. Walker Jr. left behind four children, while Jones left behind a daughter and a son.

In a statement sent to ABC 17 News, Scott shared thoughts from the family.

"It is difficult to articulate the profound sorrow that this tragedy has brought upon our family. Losing two loved ones within mere minutes is an unbearable burden. As time passes, the ache of their absence remains ever-present. We believe that God has a purpose for everything, even when we struggle to comprehend it. As stated in Romans 12:19-20: ‘Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.’ Although this case remains unresolved, we must place our trust in God. Our family continues to heal from this devastating event, and there will always be a part of us that feels incomplete without them."

Gremore said his job is to get answers for the family.

"While I understand that's not going to bring closure to make the pain go away," Gremore said. It is a step in the right direction to try to help the families and that's what I feel responsible for."

If you have any information about this case, you are asked to contact the Columbia Police Department at 573-874-7652.