Murder in Downtown Silver Spring parking garage remains unsolved one year later

Thursday marks one year since a man was murdered in a Montgomery County parking garage after a family outing to a restaurant in downtown Silver Spring. FOX 5's Jacqueline Matter revisited the scene and talked with experts about the unsolved case.

SILVER SPRING, Md. - Thursday marks one year since a man was murdered in a Montgomery County parking garage after a family outing to a restaurant in Downtown Silver Spring.

Just days before Christmas last year, 62-year-old Charles Reynolds was found in a stairwell of the Wayne Avenue garage.

The Montgomery County Police Department still has no leads in the deadly shooting, so FOX 5 came back to the crime scene with a retired homicide detective to analyze the mysterious murder.

"At approximately 9 p.m., officers responded to the parking garage located at Wayne Avenue and Fenton Street and found, in the stairwell, an adult male, dead, with trauma to his body," said Montgomery County Police Officer Carlos Cortes on the night of the crime.

Reynolds, who went by Joe, was the man found shot dead in that stairwell.

He had just finished shopping for last-minute Christmas gifts and having dinner with his family when he decided to drop off the leftovers in his car with plans to rejoin them for ice cream.

"It was literally six minutes between when we left the restaurant and when she called 911," said Reynolds’ wife, Karis Hastings, in a press conference months after the murder.

In those six minutes, Joe went from celebrating with his loved ones to being shot and killed. His sister-in-law was the one to find him and call for help.

"So then, instead of getting ready for Christmas we were talking to the police and calling funeral homes," his wife said.

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Murder in Downtown Silver Spring garage remains unsolved one year later

According to the Montgomery County Police Department, no property was stolen from Reynolds.

There were also no cameras in the stairwell or the parking deck.

Despite sifting through hours of nearby surveillance, police say they have no leads.

"We’re really at our wits’ end in this particular incident because it is- it doesn’t make sense to us," said MCPD Chief Marcus Jones.

FOX 5 contributor and retired homicide detective Randy Kucsan recently analyzed the unsolved case.

"You can see this is fairly well-lit. You know they would look for nooks and crannies where perhaps it’s darker or no cameras," said Kucsan. "But you can see right here it’s very well-lit, and it’s a short distance from the vehicle to the stairwell. So again, he might’ve been accosted at his car, or perhaps he just starts going back down the stairwell, and the person or the assailant or assailants piggyback through that door after him. This happened quickly, impulsively and that’s probably why there’s no witnesses to it."

"I believe Mr. Reynolds was targeted because he was alone, and it could’ve been anyone, but they chose someone that was alone and vulnerable, and it was a crime of opportunity," Kucsan went on to say. "There’s a $10,000 reward that remains in effect. I’m sure based on my training and experience, I’m sure somebody not necessarily saw the shooting because, again it was in a secluded stairwell, but they may have seen suspicious activity before or after the shooting."

Investigation underway after man found dead in Downtown Silver Spring parking garage

Montgomery County Police are investigating the shooting death of a 62-year-old man inside the stairwell of a busy parking garage in Downtown Silver Spring.

The police department told FOX 5 there is no danger to the community.

If you did see anything suspicious, detectives are asking you to contact them and you can leave an anonymous tip.

We’ll have more on this case with special coverage on FOX Local in the coming weeks.

Silver Spring Crime and Public Safety Montgomery County