{"id":387023,"date":"2026-07-26T14:34:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T14:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/387023\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T14:34:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T14:34:07","slug":"houstons-unsolved-homicides-turning-grief-into-a-lifeline-for-families-still-waiting-on-answers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/387023\/","title":{"rendered":"Houston\u2019s Unsolved Homicides: Turning grief into a lifeline for families still waiting on answers"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSTON \u2013 On Saturday afternoon at Tom Bass Regional Park, families gathered for a potluck picnic\u2014kids running between tables, adults trading stories, and portraits of lost loved ones watching from banners nearby. The event was one more reminder of what Houston\u2019s Unsolved Homicides<\/a> (H.U.H) has become: a place where people living with the same kind of unanswered pain can find each other, and where a private tragedy is turned outward into public purpose.<\/p>\n

Founded in 2018, the Houston-based nonprofit began with John Marsden\u2019s search for justice after the death of his son, Fabian O\u2019Neal Smith, who was killed on Dec. 29, 2017, and whose case, the founder says, remains unsolved. What started as one family\u2019s effort to keep a name from fading has evolved into an organization that blends advocacy, community outreach and simple, consistent presence for people who feel left behind by the passage of time.<\/p>\n

John Marsden, founder of Houston’s Unsolved Homicides (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)Built in the space between loss and closure<\/p>\n

For newsrooms, a violent death often arrives first as a breaking-news alert: a few confirmed details, a neighborhood, a time stamp, a name we work quickly to get right. But time moves differently for families. Long after the live shots and follow-ups end, the same questions remain\u2014along with birthdays, empty seats at holidays, and a new normal built around absence.<\/p>\n

KPRC 2 has reported on homicides across the Houston area for years, and many of the cases we write about do go unsolved. Houston\u2019s Unsolved Homicides exists in that space after the headline\u2014insisting these victims are not just case numbers or story links, but people still loved and still missed.<\/p>\n

Marsden describes the group as a conduit: when information surfaces in a homicide case, he said H.U.H can pass it to law enforcement \u201cto try to help clean up the crime in the streets.\u201d That impulse\u2014to keep working even when years have passed\u2014is central to the organization\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

But the nonprofit\u2019s mission isn\u2019t limited to the investigative side. Houston\u2019s Unsolved Homicides says its purpose is to honor lives lost, uplift families, and strengthen communities through compassion, service, and unity\u2014a framework that intentionally widens the focus beyond one case and into the daily realities families face after violence.<\/p>\n

The organization\u2019s work reflects that broader definition of justice: helping families feel less alone, and building community momentum around remembrance and support.<\/p>\n

More than awareness: service as healing<\/p>\n

H.U.H\u2019s public presence often looks like community service\u2014work Marsden calls his \u201ctherapy.\u201d The group participates in local events and organizes outreach efforts that meet immediate needs, including distributing clothing and supplies and providing support to people experiencing homelessness. The nonprofit also highlights initiatives that extend beyond Houston, including donation shipments and partnerships abroad.<\/p>\n

The organization frames that approach plainly: \u201chealing begins with helping others.\u201d That service-first mindset is part of how H.U.H keeps families connected even when the legal system moves slowly\u2014or not at all.<\/p>\n

Members of Houston’s Unsolved Homicides gather at Tom Bass Regional Park on Saturday, July 25, 2026 (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

And while the group\u2019s annual picnic is designed for fellowship and remembrance, Marsden emphasizes the larger goal behind gatherings like it: creating a safe, recurring space where families can connect, share, and keep going.<\/p>\n

The faces on the banners<\/p>\n

At community events, H.U.H displays banners with victims\u2019 names and photos\u2014visual reminders of the cases that still weigh on families. Marsden pointed to several victims represented in the group\u2019s materials and advocacy.<\/p>\n

Aaliyah Avila-Green<\/p>\n

Donta Mottley<\/p>\n

Jaime Vega<\/p>\n

Alonzo Irving<\/p>\n

Maria Jimenez Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Robert Cerda<\/p>\n

Carl Harrison<\/p>\n

Martin Lopez<\/p>\n

Donnie Gibbs<\/p>\n

Maliyah Rosalie Bass<\/p>\n

Marshan Jamell Parker<\/p>\n

Paul Jesus Martinez<\/p>\n

Fabian O\u2019Neal Smith<\/p>\n

These are not the only names that loved ones are missing.<\/p>\n

Each name represents more than a cold case number; it represents a family\u2019s before-and-after, and a life the group insists on continuing to speak aloud.<\/p>\n

John Marsden and a H.U.H. member walk along the banners of homicide victims. (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)A gathering, and a message to the city<\/p>\n

Organization leaders described their events as a space for \u201chealing, fellowship, remembrance, and community support,\u201d while also raising awareness about unsolved homicide cases across the Greater Houston area.<\/p>\n

Dr. Zideco Siverand, the group\u2019s vice president, said that \u201cno family should have to carry their grief alone.\u201d The statement captures what H.U.H tries to provide year-round: solidarity for families who often feel isolated\u2014especially as headlines fade and attention shifts.<\/p>\n

Houston\u2019s Unsolved Homicides shares information about its mission, community events and ways to support its work at houstonsunsolvedhomicides.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you have information on an unsolved homicide case:<\/p>\n

Contact HCSO Homicide Cold Case at (713) 274-9777.<\/p>\n

Contact the HPD Homicide Division at (713) 308-3600, or the HPD Cold Case Squad at (713) 308-3618<\/p>\n

Start Here, Houston<\/p>\n

More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 On Saturday afternoon at Tom Bass Regional Park, families gathered for a potluck picnic\u2014kids running between…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":387024,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[294,39250,56,58,57,136405,841],"class_list":["post-387023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-crime","tag-homicides","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news","tag-houstons-unsolved-homicides","tag-nonprofits"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=387023"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387023\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/387024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=387023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=387023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=387023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}