MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A $26,000 reward is being offered in connection to the recent murder of a prominent Memphis businessman and community leader.
Glenn Cofield was gunned down in Midtown on Friday night as he and his wife were leaving a charity event. But four days later, police have no tips.
Authorities are pleading with anyone who may have been in the area that night and may have seen or heard something to call Crime Stoppers. Now, they’re offering a $26,000 reward that leads to the arrest of a suspect or suspects.
“Somebody in this city knows everything,” Buddy Chapman, Crime Stoppers executive director, said. “$25,000 donated from private sources. Crime Stoppers pays $1,000 on any homicide.”
Chapman won’t say who donated the extra $25,000, expect that it came from multiple sources.
Cofield was charitable and served on philanthropic boards, including Carnival Memphis, and was attending a St. Jude fundraiser the night he was killed.
Authorities hope the large reward works just as a similar amount encouraged breakthrough tips in other high-profile cases, like that of Laylah Washington, a 2-year-old girl killed while riding in the backseat of her mother’s car through Hickory Hill.
The reality is that most Memphis homicides do not get this much attention, but Chapman defended the focus placed on this case.
“One of the things we simply must address in this city is these predatory groups who go around where they think people are who have valuables, money, valuable cars,” he said. “This is not the first case. You can take Phil Trenary — almost identical circumstances.”
Again, authorities are asking anyone who knows anything like part of a tag number or a car color or anyone who has heard someone talking about what happened to contact Crime Stoppers. They said any information can help.
Crime Stoppers tips can be made anonymously at 901-528-CASH.
Anonymous text tips can also be made by texting “AWARD” to 274637.