SOUTH STRABANE, Pa. — Four years have passed since Vincent Kelley was shot in the Giant Eagle in South Strabane while trying to stop a robbery at the bank in the store.
A memorial for Vincent is held every year outside of the store, where he was killed on Father’s Day.
The family is still waiting for an arrest in the case.
Family members told Channel 11 that they are not giving up hope that someone knows who killed Vincent. They’re hoping that the $50,000 reward for the person who calls the police with a name is an incentive.
“Vinnie was well-known. Everybody loved him, from kids to old people, said Mark Kelley, Vincent’s brother.
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Vincent ran after a bank robber who was fleeing the Citizens Bank inside the Giant Eagle in South Strabane. Vincent tackled the robber, which caused the bank dye to explode, before the robber shot and killed him.
“As far as I’m concerned, he’s a hero because he did save other people’s lives,” Mark Kelley said.
There was a major break in the unsolved case when police connected it to another robbery. A Bridgeville jewelry store had been robbed just two days earlier.
In both cases, the suspect wore a straw hat and carried an open black umbrella.
The FBI nicknamed the suspect the "Straw Hat Bandit." He’s on their most wanted list.
“Somebody knows what happened,” said Suzanna Kelley, a family member.
The Kelley family keeps the memorial outside the Giant Eagle year-round because they strongly believe someone who lives locally has answers.
“We were hoping it was going to be solved before this. There’s still hope. I hope every day. We keep his memory alive in any way we can,” Suzanne Kelley said.
Police know the license plate number on the suspect’s white four-door getaway car. They said it was stolen from a car parked in Scott Township four years ago.
Both FBI investigators and South Strabane police told Channel 11 that despite the reward money, there have been no new tips.