Investigators are requesting information from the public for 4 unsolved homicides

ByJohny Fernandez WABC logo

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Nassau police increase reward for info on unsolved homicides to $25K

Police believe witnesses saw something in each of the cases and want to make sure they speak to anyone who has information to help close the cases. Johny Fernandez has the story.

NASSAU COUNTY, Long Island (WABC) -- Nassau County Police and Crimestoppers have increased the reward in several unsolved homicide cases to $25,000.

These are all cases where police believe witnesses saw something and investigators want to make sure they speak to anyone who has information to help close the cases.

It's been two years since the death of Karson Banks - his family visibly heartbroken as they talked about the 31-year-old's death.

"Guns don't do nothing but kill everybody," Karson's father said. "And that's what you're doing, you're killing your kids every day."

Back in 2020, police say Banks was visiting Long Island when he was shot and killed while sitting in a car.

The case remains unsolved - but police are close to making an arrest.

"We did identify Renel Ferguson early on in the investigation," Nassau County Detective Captain Stephen Fitzpatrick said. "And we are with the district attorney's office at the point where we're ready to arrest and proceed with the prosecution of Renel Ferguson.

Nassau County police say Banks's case is just one of four cases that remain unsolved and want to bring more attention to it.

"I don't like calling them cold cases because they never get cold in Nassau county," Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Rider

said. "The time and effort is put to make sure that we are giving closure to our victims."

The cases include the death of 23-year-old Taleek Smith and 28-year-old Thiasia Williams, both were shot in a car, in separate months back in 2020.

Police are also searching for the suspect who strangled Suzanne Goldfarb to death.

Detectives say she knew her killer, but they still need help finding him.

"We just indicted a man for a 50-year-old homicide," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. "We will never give up. We will not rest until we have people arrested and prosecuted for these crimes."

Police here say some of these cases are close to being solved - but they need the last missing puzzle piece to make an arrest. One thing they want to make clear is that all calls are confidential to the police department or Crimestoppers.

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