HOUSTON – One year ago the murders of the Sun family shocked a community and police are vowing to heat up this cold case.
Crime Stoppers of Houston, the Harris County Sheriff's Office and the Houston Chinese Alliance are seeking the public's help finding the person or persons responsible for the murder of the Sun family: Maoye Sun, his wife Mei Xie, and their two sons, Timothy Sun and Titus Sun.
"The boys and our children were schoolmates during the week and attended Chinese school together," Houston Chinese Alliance President Howard Xu said.
The alliance has helped raise $75,000 for a reward for information leading to the killer.
"We see ourselves in the tragedy. The community is threatened," said UH professor Steven Pei.
All four family members were gunned down in their Cypress home on the 14000 block of Fosters Creek Drive in northwest Harris County on Jan. 30, 2014.
Their bodies were discovered by deputies performing a welfare check on the residence.
"I want you to remember that you killed two children. I want that to burn in your brain. I want it to give you a heart condition. I want it to give you ulcers," Sheriff Adrian Garcia said Monday at a press conference alongside Jeff McShan of Crime Stoppers of Houston and Howard Xu of the Houston Chinese Alliance.
The murders have news coverage in the Sun family's native China where some reports say Maoye Sun may have been connected to a high-ranking Chinese government official being investigated for corruption.
"We have received news articles and different emails. We have gone through it all," Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia said. "There is a great deal of information we cannot share."
The story and theories of a professional assassination have also circulated in the Sun's neighborhood.
"A lot of people may be afraid to come forward on this particular issue," Crime Stoppers spokesman Jeff McShan said.
Officials say that someone knows something about this tragedy and urges them to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous.
