TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Police Department is asking for information to help solve a 1994 cold case.
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Brian Schuch Sr. was found dead on July 21, 1994, on the 700 block of Caracas Street in Tampa.
WATCH: Billboards bring attention to 1994 cold case in Tampa
His family has put up two billboards in Tampa and hope to generate new leads in the case.
"Hoping that the billboard will spark somebody’s memory just a little bit. It’s been 32 years," said Barbara Schuch, Brian's mother.
One billboard is located on 50th Street and another is located at Nebraska Avenue and Powhatan Avenue.
Detective James Smith said Brian's widow contacted the police department several months ago.
"Initially when we look at these cold cases, Brian's being no different, we take a look to see what physical evidence is available. We also look at witnesses and potential people that might have been involved in it that provided information in the past," said Detective Smith.
At the time, police said Brian was repeatedly stabbed in the upper body. He collapsed near the porch of a home. A dog barking woke up the homeowners.
The fatal stabbing happened around 3:30 a.m.
At the time, police believed he was the victim of a robbery since his pickup truck and wallet were missing. His truck was later recovered.
Lauren Schuch was 26 years old at the time of her husband's murder. Their youngest was just one years old.
They had three children together and were also raising their niece.
"He was the best father, you know, he was incredible. He was an incredible human being so it was very hard raising his children without him because he was a hands-on guy," said Lauren Schuch, Brian's widow.
Detective Smith said the biggest challenge in a cold case is time.
"As time goes on, people pass away, people’s memories fade, medical conditions happen, so we really do try to beat the clock with cases that are beyond 20-30 and sometimes even getting into 40 years old, that's probably the biggest challenge," he said.
Detective Smith said over the past three decades, technology has advanced and departments can now use genetic genealogy to help solve crimes.
"We’ve gone to a point where something as small as epithelial cells from somebody touching something can assist in identifying somebody that was present at a crime scene and also moving into genetic genealogy to which a DNA that’s not necessarily identified to a specific person, but has a family member that’s obviously going be related to them, we can work our way back to identify who left that DNA at that location based on going through family first," he said.
If you have any information on the unsolved murder of Brian Schuch, please call the Tampa Police Department at (813) 276-3200. To remain anonymous and possibly receive a reward, call Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at (800) 873-TIPS or dial **TIPS from your mobile device.
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