An additional $12,500 in reward money is being offered for information leading to the gunman who killed a Philadelphia Parking Authority employee as he walked his dogs in West Philadelphia last month.
The PPA and the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 announced the additional reward, bringing the total reward for information leading to the killer to $32,500. The City of Philadelphia is offering the other $20,000.
Mark Marshall, 34, was walking his two Chihuahuas near 47th Street and Chester Avenue about 7:45 p.m. Dec. 16 when police say a man pulled up in a vehicle, got out and argued with him, and then shot him to death.
Investigators last week released a sketch of the shooter in hopes that someone would recognize the medium-built, bearded man in his late 20s to early 30s who stands between 5 feet 7 and 5 feet 10. He wore a light-colored hooded sweatshirt and orange wool cap.
Police said the gunman pulled up to where Marshall was walking at 47th and Chester in an older-model Dodge/Chrysler minivan and exited the passenger door. He then confronted Marshall, engaged in a verbal argument, followed him a block to 47th Street and Kingsessing Avenue, and shot him in the neck, back, arms and legs, according to police.
Marshall was taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital, where he died a short time later.
Marshall lived in a home about a block away from where he was shot, police said.
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The dogs were placed in the care of a neighbor.
Marshal spent five years with the PPA and was going through the process of entering the Philadelphia Police Academy with dreams of joining the mounted patrol.
"He always had an ambition to be someone important, somebody who gives back to the community," said Marshall's father Jonathan Cousins. "For somebody to do this to him, I want to know why. Turn yourself in, let's get some closure here. You really, really, really hurt our family."
Police recovered the minivan but are still searching for the suspect. Police asked anyone with information on the shooting or who recognize the gunman to call homicide detectives at 215-686-3334/35/36 and ask for Det. Gregory Santamala.
