$40,000 reward offered for information in shooting death of 19-year-old Delaware State student

NEW CASTLE COUNTY (WTXF) - New Castle County Executive Thomas P. Gordon has announced a reward of up to $40,000 for any information leading the arrest and conviction of the person who shot and killed a 19-year-old on July 9, 2016.

According to a press release, Malcolm Evans of Bear and a Delaware State University student, was killed as he drove to his part-time job before dawn that morning.

The family of Evans joined Gordon and members of the New Castle County Police Department at a press conference Wednesday asking for tips to solve the murder.

Police say Evans had no criminal record and no involvement in drugs, and they are still searching for a motive for the slaying.

County Police Chief Col. Elmer M. Setting called the killing "an absolutely senseless murder."

Evans' father Kevin Evans said, "We thank every police officer in brown and blue for everything you do on a day-to-day basis," he said, adding that others could not do their job.

"This tragedy brings us together as a family, as a people, as a country," he said.

His wife, and Malcolm Evans' mother, Terry, thanked friends, family, strangers and police for their outpouring of support.

"Malcolm Evans was my beautiful, loving, humble sweet son and I can't tell you all the hole we all have in our hearts," she said. "...He was just a wonderful, wonderful kid."

"Help yourself," she said. "Help get someone off the streets who could possibly do this to your family. We couldn't believe that this could happen to us. We're just a loving family and we would just hate for another loving family to go through this senseless crime."

Evans' brother also spoke, calling him "the main role model in my life."

He also said that he could not understand his brother's killing "no matter how long I think about it. We have a murderer on the streets who can take another life as fast as he took Malcolm's."

At 4:00 a.m. on July 9, Delaware State Police responded to the report of a one-car crash at the entrance of Rutledge.

They found Evans at the wheel of his black 1995 BMW with a single gunshot wound to the upper body. He died at Christiana Hospital shortly after 2:00 p.m. Sunday.

Troopers transferred the investigation to county police after finding evidence that Evans was shot in the first block of Baywatch Road.

Detectives determined that Evans had just left his family's home on the 600 block of Country Path Drive when he was shot, managing to drive a short distance before he crashed the vehicle his parents had bought for his college commute.

According to a press release, investigators found a witness who saw several males in the area, but they fled before police arrived.

"There are cases that hurt a little bit more and haunt us a little bit more and this is one of those cases," Setting said.

"The bottom line is someone knows something and we need that information so we can bring this investigation to a just close," he said.

Anyone with information - or surveillance equipment that may have recorded the shooting or its aftermath - is asked to call detectives at (302) 573-2800. Information also may be given to police at www.nccpd.com, through the New Castle County Police Department's Facebook page and using the department's smartphone app, available for free download for all iPhone and Android smartphones. Tipsters also may call Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333.