Omaha family searching for answers in cold case

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Fifteen years after her death, the family of Sherry Price is still searching for answers.

The Omaha grandmother was shot by stray gunfire inside her own home. Although the case is cold, her family is still demanding justice.

“She’s been a devoted mom, an auntie, a grandmother, if I could sum it up in words, she was a blessing,” says her son, Steven Price.

June 14th, 2009, around 1 am. 54-year-old Sherry Price was in the comfort of her bedroom, when gunshots went off outside her home.

“Well we heard like branches crunching or whatever… and I heard the click on a gun and I’m like well I hope nobody ain’t– before I could get those words out the shots rang out,” said Steven.

Police arrived to find Sherry shot twice by stray bullets. Steven was there with his mom in her final moments.

“So much as seeing the gory part of it, with her bleeding and me trying to administer CPR and trying to cover her wound up. I thought she was gasping for air but she definitely was praying,” Steven said.

The mother and grandmother is also remembered as a great employee. She had just earned her degree in medical assisting.

“She definitely stayed in her bible she was a Christian woman,” Steven said.

The Omaha Police Department has more than 300 documented cold case homicides dating back to 1960.

“A lot of it is that people are just afraid to come forward with that information. Again, we know, especially in Sherry’s case that someone has that information and knows who is responsible and we just need them to come forward,” Lt. Nicholas Andrews of the OPD Homicide Unit said.

The Department is one year into using a $500,000 grant which allows them to test new and old DNA.

“That technology helps us solve cold cases,” Lt. Andrews said.

Since this grant, OPD has been able to make an arrest in a separate case.

To this day OPD’s homicide unit has no leads on who’s responsible for Sherry’s death. Her family wants more to be done to solve her case.

“They didn’t drop the ball but I feel like they could definitely do more than what they’re doing. Get the case and reach out. If it was your mother what would you do?” Steven said.

Sherry’s sons say their mom’s death has affected them for years.

“After so many years of trying to build my own business, I just put all my anger and my passion and hurt and everything into my business and overtime I just accepted it and I prayed about it for so long and you know I just became numb to it,” says Sherry’s son Keelin.

“I still go through it at times but as my brother stated I channel that energy somewhere else. I know my mom wouldn’t have wanted me hurting the next person, that’s never been in my heart… I was devastating but I turned that negative energy into something positive,” Steven said.

Sunday would have been her 70th birthday. Her sons still celebrate her life, hoping one day justice will be served.

“I pray to her all the time. At this point I don’t even really call it a prayer I just call it talking to her,” Keelin said. “She always said I’m not going to be here forever, but she absolutely is here in spirit, and I carry that with me every day.”

Police believe there are people out there who have information about the incident that led up to Sherry’s death.

If you know anything, you can submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers.

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