MIRAMAR, Fla. – Sunday marked 20 years since three generations of a South Florida family were found murdered in their Miramar home, and relatives are begging anyone with information to come forward.
"It was a brutal slaying, overkill and very personal," Miramar police Detective Danny Smith said.
Miramar police are still searching for whoever killed Marie Altidore, 29,her two daughters, Sabrina and Samantha, who were just 3 years old and 6 weeks old, and their grandmother, Theresa Laverne.
"There is still a killer or killers on the loose," Altidore's sister, Marie Carline Laverne, said.
The four family members were killed on April 30, 1997.
"Our suffering will never end, but it will lessen when we have some type of closure," Marie Carline Laverne said.
A key piece of evidence was on display during a news conference on Monday: a wall with a message scribbled in marker.
The message read: "I want my $100,000 drug money. They stole my drugs."
Smith said they believe that the message was meant to mislead investigators.
"That's something you see on TV. That's something that I believe, investigators here at the Miramar Police Department believe, is a complete farce," Smith said.
The detective said police can guarantee that no one in the family is associated with drugs, and they have a few people with whom they would like to speak.
One person is Marie Altidore's husband, George Altidore, whose lawyers have advised him not to speak to police.
Detectives also want to speak with another man, Didrot Roc, who they said was visiting from Haiti when the women and children were killed and who might know something.
"We haven't forgotten about this case and we are still going to do everything we can to solve this case," Smith said. "In addition, we want to make sure that the individual or individuals responsible for this know we haven't forgotten about this and we're still working."
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Miramar police or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. A reward of up to $3,000 is offered for information that leads to an arrest.