Family of Springfield homicide victim still looking for answers 29 years later
Though Springfield police have had more success than other departments in solving homicides, there are still some cases that have stumped detectives.
When perusing the Springfield Police Department's website, visitors can find a list of cold cases. And while any and all tips are encouraged from the public, many of those cases have sat unsolved for decades.
Some, like the case of The Springfield Three, have garnered national attention. While others have been largely forgotten by the public.
Here's a look at one case in which the police department, and the victim's family, are still searching for answers three decades later:
Three years ago, Patricia Miller went looking for information on her biological father. But what she found left her with more questions than answers.
"I mean, as wonderful as my life was, I have no like real complaints, just that I, I wasn't raised by my daddy," Miller said.
Miller's father was Frank Stanton, a Springfield man and a delivery driver for the News-Leader who was found dead with a gunshot wound in his truck on June 10, 1993.
"I was just a toddler when my adopted dad passed away and when I finally did find my biological dad, he was deceased because someone decided to take his life," Miller said.
The case has been cold for many years, but Miller and her family are looking to revive the investigation on the 29-year anniversary of her father's death.
More: 'Lighting their way back to answers,' group honors The Springfield Three, 30 years later
"There's very little evidence," she said. "There was no DNA, there's no fingerprints, no weapon, really no physical evidence, but I truly believe that someone out there knows something."
Miller and her extended family are offering a reward of $5,000 for information that leads to the case being solved.
"I really want to fight and bring justice, not just for him and not for me, but my little brother who was 14 and lived with my dad. He's the one who lived through that," Miller said.
Anyone with information on Stanton's death is encouraged to call the Springfield Police Department at 417-864-1711 or make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 417-869-TIPS (8477).
Jordan Meier covers public safety for the Springfield News-Leader. Contact her at jmeier@news-leader.com, or on Twitter @Jordan_Meier644.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 29 years later, Frank Stanton's family hopes police solve his murder
