Sep 24, 2007 7:53 pm US/Central
Reward Offered In Case Of Killed Bicyclist
by Lisa Kiava
Minneapolis (WCCO) ―
Minneapolis Police announced a reward will be offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case of the bicyclist killed earlier this month.
Mark Loesch, 41, was found in the yard of a home on the 3700 block of Elliot Avenue South on Sept. 13. He was found suffering severe trauma and died before paramedics could arrive.
Friends said they thought Loesch was riding to a friend's house when he was attacked.
"His death is a tragedy and the way he died is horrible," said Glenn Galloway, Loesch's co-worker.
The flowers have scattered at the scene of the brutal beating. More than a week and a half later there have been no arrests, no suspects and no known motive.
"But the reasons behind Mark's murder are not a mystery to someone, someone in this neighborhood, maybe someone on this block," said Lt. Amelia Huffman, Minneapolis Police.
Minneapolis Police are hoping $6,000 reward money announced on Monday will encourage a tipster to call in with the break they need.
Loesch, a father of four, worked as an IT consultant and his employer and loved ones contributed money toward the reward fund.
"He really did care about his family. Just had a great vitality to life and so was just complete shock what happened," said Jim Zerwas, Loesch's co-worker.
With a killer or killers still on the loose neighbors are uneasy. There have been several recent shootings in the area in the last week and a half, including a 12-year-old boy shot in the leg. Police don't think the shootings are related to the Loesch murder.
Even so, a woman, who didn't want to be identified, said her mother is moving out of the neighborhood out of fear.
"She's a lot more edgy and just not comfortable in her own home," she said.
However, Polly Kavanaugh has a different view, vowing to keep close watch on her kids and to fight this latest crime wave.
"Everybody knowing about what's going on, everybody committed to being vigilant to talk about anything they see," said Kavanaugh, who lives in the neighborhood.
If you have any information, you are asked to call the Minneapolis investigators tip line at (612) 692-TIPS.
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