Evaristo Juny Sierra

Evaristo "Juny" Sierra Jr., a man remembered for his love of life and devotion to his family, was born on March 28, 1978, in Ponce, Puerto Rico. At 31 years old, the Hispanic man was known to those who loved him as someone who was full of life and cherished his family and friends above all else. He particularly adored his nieces and nephews, who loved him dearly in return. His family included his wife, Karen Bingham; his father, Evaristo Sierra, Sr.; his mother, Maria Olga Rivera; and his sisters, Veronica and Mary.

The life Juny had built was violently cut short on the afternoon of Thursday, September 24, 2009. Around 3:30 p.m., officers with the San Antonio Police Department were called to a home in a duplex on the city’s Northeast Side, in the 12200 block of Maverick Bluff near McAllister Park. Inside the residence, a friend had made a devastating discovery: Juny was found suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The initial investigation by the San Antonio Police Department uncovered few immediate leads. While neighbors and other witnesses had not seen the shooting itself, some reported hearing gunshots earlier in the day. Investigators were also told that a four-door, gold-colored vehicle was seen speeding away from the area with several men inside around the time of the incident. However, police could not definitively link this vehicle or its occupants to Juny's murder, and the lead did not result in any arrests.

In the years following the killing, Juny's case grew cold, but detectives did not give up. The San Antonio Police Department has publicly requested information on multiple occasions, hoping a new tip might break the silence surrounding the case. In 2016, Detective Leroy Carrion of the Homicide Office was listed as a point of contact for the investigation. Despite these efforts, no suspects have ever been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made, leaving a painful void for Juny’s loved ones.

The family's grief has been compounded by the lack of answers. They have expressed the deep and lasting pain of not knowing who was responsible or why Juny was killed. "People forgot about it, but only the loved ones, we suffer and we think about the past," a family member shared in a 2018 interview, adding, "because if this happened to your family I'm pretty sure you'd want to know. We want to know." Juny is memorialized on the websites for the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children and the Jalil Center for Hope.

As of September 2019, the murder of Evaristo "Juny" Sierra remains an unsolved homicide. The investigation is still open, awaiting the piece of information that could finally bring clarity and justice. San Antonio Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of the person or people responsible for his death. Authorities urge anyone with knowledge of the case, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. Tips can be given anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 210-224-STOP (7867).