2013 murder of Phoenix security guard still unsolved On Thanksgiving night in 2013, Jeffrey Bellemare said goodbye to his family before heading to his job as an overnight security guard. He was killed later that night.

Justin Sayers | The Republic | azcentral.com

On Nov. 29, 2013, Thanksgiving night, Jeffrey Bellemare dressed in his uniform and said goodbye to his sons and brother-in-law. He then gave his wife, Karan, a hug and kiss and left for his job as an overnight security guard at the Graybriar Condominiums in Maryvale.

The next morning, a police officer knocked on the door and told Karan that Jeffrey had been shot and killed while on duty. He was 59.

Almost exactly two years since the murder, police are still searching for his killers. Karan said her optimism is waning, but the family is holding out hope that the suspects will be found.

"Right now, you feel like you're kind of in limbo," she said. "You can't really move all the way forward and you can't really go back. You're like stuck on stupid."

Detectives have been gathering information about the murder, but details remain sparse, she said. They know an older-model sedan with a vinyl top and possible front-end damage pulled behind a dumpster, and two people jumped out.

At about 1:30 a.m., two people confronted Jeff in a dark portion of the complex and shot him twice with a .40-caliber weapon before hopping back in the car and driving away. He was pronounced dead within 15 minutes.

Witnesses say a man and woman ran from the scene. Silent Witness released composite sketches of the couple and is offering a $1,000 reward for any information leading to their arrests and/or indictments.

There was no surveillance-camera footage captured on or near the property, she said.

"Whoever was down there at the apartment, we feel knows something," Karan said. "We want witnesses to come forward. It's been two years now."

Karan's family is expecting eight people at dinner this year, including her 8-month-old nephew, Kristian Jeffrey, who is named for his late uncle. They're also hoping Fernando Peraza, who lives at Graybriar and ran outside to aid Jeffrey in his dying moments, will be in attendance. Karan said he's become part of the family.

"He's my son from another mother," she said. "We've created a bond with him."

The plan is to release balloons with Jeffrey's name on it -- a budding family tradition -- on Thanksgiving night.

"We kind of just want to get through it," she said. "But we know we can honor Jeff by talking about his memory."

Anyone with information may contact Silent Witness at 480-948-6377 or leave tips online at silenwitness.org. Witnesses can remain anonymous.