Family of tech CEO killed in 2018 Toronto shooting renews $250K reward
CBC
The family of a tech CEO who was killed in a 2018 shooting in Toronto is renewing a $250,000 reward for anyone with information that can lead to his killer.
Matthew Staikos' family says every day has been excruciating since he was approached by someone from behind and shot while walking in the city's Yorkville neighbourhood.
"We have tried for more than four-and-a-half years to understand why someone would do this," the family said in a written statement on Tuesday.
"We hope this time that $250,000 will be enough. That our unending grief will be enough. That someone who knows something will want to do the right thing, will want to clear their conscience, will be in some sort of situation where picking up the phone and calling in that tip will make their lives better."
The 37-year-old Staikos worked for BlackBerry for many years before he created Vleepo, a networking platform.
Police said Staikos was with his friend and had just wrapped up a late-night meeting when someone got out of a silver Mercedes and shot him.
His had family offered a $250,000 reward earlier in his homicide investigation but that offer has since expired. The latest reward will also expire in a year, police added.
Investigators are still searching for a motive in the case, police said.
"We say it's a targeted homicide because the person that took his life purposely took his life," Det. Sgt. Terry Browne said Tuesday during a news conference where the family renewed their reward in the case.
"We still don't know 100 per cent whether Matthew Staikos was the intended target (or) the shooter perhaps mistakenly shot the wrong person ... There's no doubt in our mind that whoever did this, it was a planned and deliberate incident."
Browne said investigators have put in thousands of hours on the case and they are hoping the renewed reward will help.
Staikos' family said they were desperate for answers.
"We're desperate because we loved and love and will forever love Matthew so, so much," his family said.
"Losing him in this way without any sense of reason has been torture. Matthew was so beautiful, kind, caring, smart, so creative, so many wonderful things."
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