7 years and no answers: Family searches for justice after 3 relatives found dead under truck
In northeast Harris County, in an alley behind the Pine Trails subdivision off Edenglen Drive, a family came together for the first time in close to a decade.
"The fact that it's been so long. It's been too long," one man says.
Tragedy brought them to that patch of grass behind a row of ranch homes. Three men they love were shot there on March 10, 2011.
Anthony Algere, his uncle Patrick Leonard, and Torrey Smith, their cousin and a local rapper, were all shot multiple times.
"I don't think anybody will ever understand what they took from us," Jamie Hubbard said.
Hubbard is Algere's sister. She called Eyewitness News to get answers about her brother's unsolved murder.
"If we don't keep pursuing it, we're not ever going to find out what happened," Hubbard said.
The bodies of the three men were found under the white Ford pickup. Police say it belonged to Smith. But Hubbard says her brother owned the truck.
The men weren't robbed. Neighbors told detectives that day they heard shots between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m., but 911 wasn't called. Detectives say three types of drugs were found at the scene, but it's unclear whose drugs they were.
"What if it was your dad? Your brother? Your uncle? Your grandfather? Your son? What if it was you? Where would you be?" said Leshanae Algere through tears. Leshanae was Anthony's daughter. She was 17 years old when he was killed.
The white truck may hold the key to moving the case forward.
In 2011, it was towed from the scene to the Harris County Sheriff's Office evidence garage.
"They'll take pictures of everything," said Sgt. Abraham Alanis, as he took out photos of the truck.
Alanis pulled up the case file on the computer, showing recent activity. A spreadsheet shows just three months ago -- seven years after the murders -- detectives tracked a lead.
"Obviously, the family doesn't see this. We don't want to call and say, 'we went to talk to so-and-so but nothing came up,'" Alanis explained.
Sometimes, updating family on every development leads to disappointment.
Back in the alley, Celeste Singleton says hearing about those leads, no matter how small, gives her hope.
"I've never been out here. I didn't have the strength to get here," Singleton said.
Leonard was her husband. The two grew up together from being high school sweethearts to husband and wife, to parents of three young children.
"He was the mom and dad. He raised those kids," Singleton said.
When Leonard was murdered, Singleton says she wasn't prepared to be a single mom.
"It really took a toll on my life."
She's made it work, with the help of family.
Now, this widow, this sister, this daughter, these cousins and brothers are pleading: if you know what happened, say something. Your tip could be the missing piece detectives need to solve the case.
"Will it ever bring them back? No. But it will give us a little sense of peace," Hubbard said.
