Parents of murdered ODU student offer double reward on 9 year anniversary of his death

Posted: Jun 10, 2020 / 07:26 PM EDT

Updated: Jun 10, 2020 / 07:26 PM EDT

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — It has been nine years today and still no arrest in the murder of an Old Dominion University student.

Christopher Cummings was killed one block from campus in the house where he was living on West 42nd Street.

His parents and roommate returned to the home on Wednesday morning.

“It’s extremely frustrating because right now we’re no further ahead then we were, I’d say a month after the murder,” James Cummings told WAVY.

Standing outside the home, his mother Rosa Cummings said, “I mean, he was my soul. They took my life away — I am not the same person that I was.”

Neither is Jake Carey, Chris’s roommate. He still lives with the physical pain and emotional scars of being shot himself, five times.

“Definitely brings back some pretty sad memories, you know, losing your best friend right in front of you is never something you want to remember.”

Jake woke up the morning of June 10, 2011, to the sound of gunshots. As he went to check on his friend, he told WAVY, he was shot.

He later told police that just hours before the shooting, one of Chris’s friends from Newport News came to visit him with two others that Chris didn’t know. One of those people pulled a gun on Chris and tried to rob him.

“We do have suspects and we are close to honing in on a group of people,” Detective Jon Smith told WAVY. Norfolk police believe the group came back.

Smith said they just need someone to fess up to what they know, “and just point us in that direction we can run with.”

If doing the right thing isn’t enough motivation, the family is now doubling its reward from $10,000 to $20,000.

“Please, please get me the person that took my son’s life,” Rosa begged. She wants justice and some peace for her husband — who every morning goes into their son’s untouched bedroom to pray.

He said that often times, he just stares off into their vast backyard.

“I just go out there and stand, and pretend he’s there with my grandkids, but I’ll never have that.”

James said his son wanted to follow in the footsteps of his late uncle, Congressman Elijah Cummings who served Maryland and the city of Baltimore for more than two decades.

If you know anything that can help police solve this case call the Crimeline at 1-888-LOCK-U-Up, submit a tip through the P3 Tips app.