Reward increased for 12-year-old unsolved Lee County homicide case

Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers has increased the reward for a 12-year-old homicide case.

On Aug. 27, 2012, a 50-year-old Cape Coral man was found dead on the side of the road in Lehigh Acres. The death of the victim, Christopher Brothers, was ruled a homicide.

In a social media post made on the 12th anniversary of Brothers’ death, SWFL Crime Stoppers announced it would increase the reward for information on the case from $3,000 to $5,000.

According to Patricia Routte, manager at SWFL Crime Stoppers, there are hundreds of unsolved murder cases in Southwest Florida.

They feature a new cold case on social media every week under the title “The Search Continues” to raise awareness of these stories.

“These cases just sit there, waiting for that one tip to come in that can hopefully reignite the case and lead to closure,” said Routte. “So, we feel it’s super important that we remind the community about these cases.”

Oftentimes, witnesses and involved parties can hesitate to report valuable information about a case for fear of retaliation from the authorities. A tip submitted through Crime Stoppers eliminates this fear.

“When they provide that tip to Crime Stoppers, they are completely anonymous,” said Routte, “but we are immediately taking their information and putting it in the hands of a cold case detective, and hopefully they can move those steps forward to an arrest.”

Routte, who works personally with the families involved in these cases, has seen firsthand the closure and relief families can experience when new information comes to light.

“There is absolutely nothing that is better than a family finally getting to see justice served after they’ve given up hope,” said Routte.

To submit a tip, contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-8477. You can also submit tips online or on the P3 Tips mobile app. Remember, you can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.