'Please turn yourself in': Family seeks answers in Cuyahoga Falls man's hit-skip death
The pain on Linda Devers' face and in her voice made it evident just how much her younger brother Gerald "Jerry" Devers meant to her and her family.
She held back tears as she spoke about Jerry, who was killed in a Dec. 22 hit-and-run accident near the University of Akron's campus.
Jerry Devers, 69, of Cuyahoga Falls, was hit by a driver who sped through a red light at the intersection of Spicer and Exchange streets in Akron. He was transported to Summa Akron City Hospital, where he died from his injuries a few hours later.
"He was a kind soul," his sister said. "He wouldn't hurt an insect. Everybody who knew Jerry loved him. He had a big heart and I can't believe someone would just hit him and leave him in the middle of the street to die."
According to Devers, the suspect vehicle was eventually found and traced back to the owner. Police, however, were not able to determine who was driving the vehicle at the time of the incident.
No arrests had been made as of Thursday afternoon, according to Akron Police Department Captain David Laughlin.
"The police went to the person's house who owned the car where the car's owner said that they don't know who was driving the car at the time. How do you not know who's driving your car?" Devers asked. "[The vehicle] was never reported stolen, and I want to know why the person does not know who was driving the car. It doesn't make sense to me.
"I want the person not to sleep at night. That may sound cruel but I can't sleep at night. I can't eat. All I keep seeing is my brother's face — I saw him in the funeral home. His face was all purple, his nose was broken and he was all smashed up."
The grieving sister is pleading with the person who is responsible for her brother's death to come forward.
"How can you do that? How can you sleep at night knowing that you killed an innocent person?" she asked. "Please turn yourself in. Do the right thing."
Devers said she does not know what led her brother to walk in the area.
After his death, she checked his cell phone and house phones but found he didn't call anyone that day nor did he get any messages that would explain why he was walking in University Park.
"That morning, I said, 'Jerry, the weather is going to get really cold, please don't go walking around,' and that's the last thing I said to my brother," Devers recalled. "I don't know why he was over there, Jerry loved to walk. He walked everywhere all the time..."
Anaise Mahon, Jerry's great niece, also spoke fondly about her great uncle.
"He would go above and beyond for anybody," she said. "...If you knew him you would only have good things to say about him.
"He would call me his little spitfire and tell me how I was feisty just like him. I hosted Christmas dinner this year and he was actually supposed to be at my house for that dinner and his life was tragically taken a few days before that," Mahon said. "If you know anything please just do the right thing, be a good person and come forward. My family just wants closure and justice for my uncle."
Mahon recently started a GoFundMe seeking donations to help cover Jerry's cremation and memorial service costs. Interested individuals can donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/jerry-devers.
Summit County Crime Stoppers have offered an award up to $2,000 for any information that leads to an arrest. People are asked to call 330-434-2677 if they have any pertinent information.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Family of Cuyahoga Falls man killed in hit-skip accident seek justice
