Woman, 51, gunned down on front porch in West Philadelphia

A murder investigation is underway in West Philadelphia after a woman was shot and killed on the front porch of her mother's home.

Karleen Mclendon has nothing but fond memories of her daughter Robin who was gunned down on the front porch early Thursday morning while her mother was asleep inside.

"She was a very wonderful child," Karleen told FOX 29 Thursday. "I just can't tell you how much I miss her. She was so beautiful."

It happened around 3:30 a.m. in the 1300 block of North 59th Street. Police say Robin was coming or going from the home when a gunman approached from the middle of the street and fired three shots. Robin was hit at least twice.

"We recovered shell casings on the block. We don't have any indication that anything would bring this to this woman's door like this," Homicide Captain John Ryan told reporters at a mid-morning press conference.

The 51-year-old Mclendon graduated from Drexel and was an accomplished musician. Her mom said she once played the cello with the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra, but police and neighbors say Robin also struggled with mental health issues.

"They weren't targeting the house. They were targeting her," Captain Ryan explained. .

Detectives are trying to find surveillance video from near the murder scene. They're also trying to locate any witnesses. So far, they have no motive for Robin Mclendon's murder.

"Maybe she was having some type of dispute with somebody in the neighborhood. It might be tied to that," Captain Ryan said.

"I miss her terribly," Karleen Mclendon said as she clutched her daughter's photo.

Police say the victim suffered gunshot wounds to her body and her head. No weapon was recovered from the scene. According to police, Robin Mclendon hadn't been at the house for at least a couple of days.

There's a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this case.