"He was my namesake," said Matt Novak, Sr. "He was my only blood child. We had a great relationship and that was taken away from me."
Novak has gone on camera pleading for answers in his son's killing for the past five years. He says the fact that the suspects are still out there haunts him.
"Whenever there's a murder, whenever there's a shooting, whenever there's a .40 caliber gun involved, [I think,] 'Could that be the guy? Could that be the guy?'" said Novak.
On Sunday September 28th, 2008, 24-year-old Matthew Novak, Jr. and two friends were headed home from Philadelphia's annual Puerto Rican Day parade when their car broke down at 6th and Green Streets in Northern Liberties.
Surveillance video shows a blue Chevrolet Impala with 3 men inside stopping to help. Novak got into the car with them and they drove to 13th and Fairmount.
As Novak got out of the car, they shot him in the leg. He later died at the hospital.
The blue Chevy had New Jersey tags, but the license number is difficult to read.
"I don't know how many times people have said, 'Well, they just can't push a button and the license plate just clears up. That's fantasyland,'" said Novak.
Now he hopes a $42,000 reward will bring someone forward.
"I'm not giving up," he said. "My family's not giving up. My son needs some peace."
All you have to do is call the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS or call 215-686-TIPS. All calls will remain anonymous.
