One Year Later, Still No Answers for Cason's Family

A year later, Orlondo Sewell still remembers the words his 9-year-old son said to him at the : "It's going to be all right."

"I just remember what my son told me. 'It's going to be all right.' I know she told him that day to tell me it's going to be all right," he said as he reflected on the pain he's felt in the year since Cason, 63, was found shot to death in a parking lot on Ritchie Highway in Glen Burnie.

"I just keep my head up. It's all I can do. What else I can do?" he said.

Cason, a Glen Burnie resident, was found in the parking lot near Pep Boys and Gavigan's Home Furnishings in the 7300 block of Ritchie Highway on Jan. 28, 2011.

Police found Cason at about 10:50 a.m. in her Suzuki Sidekick suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body. Anne Arundel County Fire officials declared Cason dead at the scene.

Police have yet to make an arrest in the homicide, but said the case is still considered to be active as they continue to investigate any lead they receive.

"In every officer's career—and I've been doing this for [about] 20 years—they have a case that bothers them. This is that case for me," said Sgt. Keith Clark with the Anne Arundel County police homicide department in an interview with Patch.

Detective Regina Collier said she continues to reach out to the public, with Clark adding that there needs to be a partnership between the police department and the community.

"Someone saw something. Even if they just heard a rumor, [I want to know about it]. Sometimes rumors are true," Collier said.

Clark added that the investigation has been difficult because it's hard to find anyone in Cason's life who would have had a grudge.

"She wasn't involved in any illicit activity. She was into the community and activism. No one had any ill will toward her," he said.

Clark said they haven't ruled out the possibility that Cason's death was a result of a robbery gone bad.

"Was it a random robbery? We're investigating that angle, too," he said.

Collier said she hopes the police department is able to find whomever is behind Cason's death soon.

"It's hard enough when someone dies, but when someone is taken by violence it's hard to get closure until justice is served," Clark said.

And Sewell agreed that closure is all he would get from an arrest and convction in his mother's death.

"I'll get closure if someone's caught and held accountable," he said. "But my feelings are always going to be the same."

Sewell said that as an only child he and his mother were very close and added that getting through the holidays was extreme.

"I miss going to my mom for advice. She was my role model. They took that from me," he said. "But I have her with me. I know she's with me. I know she's watching over me. ... We just have to keep praying and keep the faith and hopefully something will come."

The family plans to hold a private memorial over the weekend to remember Cason.

Collier asks anyone with any information about Cason's death to contact her at 410-222-3417.

Additionally, anyone with information can call, email or text a tip to the Metro Crime Stoppers Hotline available 24 hours a day toll free at 1-866-7LOCKUP or text "MCS" plus your message to CRIMES (274637).

Phone calls are not recorded and callers remain anonymous. If a tip leads to the arrest and indictment of a felony crime, the person who supplies the tip also may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.