Today Marks 50 Years Since Unsolved Murder Of Philadelphia Police Officer Frederick Cione
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Thursday marked 50 years since Philadelphia Police Officer Frederick Cione was shot and killed in the line of duty. His death remains the only unsolved murder of a Philly police officer.
At the scene of the crime in North Philadelphia, FOP leaders announced Thursday a $10,000 increase in the reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the killer.
That brings the reward to $30,000.
It's a gesture meant to show his family that investigators have never given up on solving the case.
"The police department still cares about Freddy," said Frederick's brother, Nicholas Cione Sr. "I know if my mother and father were alive today and could look around and see all the people here, they could see that everybody here still remembers Fred."
A tearful brother expressed his gratitude for the Philadelphia Police Department for never giving up the search for his brother's killer. Cione was gunned down at the age of 25.
"Frederick Cione went to work 50 years ago expecting to be home for breakfast. He had hopes and dreams and never realized a life cut far too short," Managing Director Brian Abernathy said.
Cione was shot multiple times while patrolling the 1700 block of West Oxford Street in North Philadelphia on Jan. 30, 1970.
"It is believed that he had engaged in an investigation, either a pedestrian investigation or vehicle investigation involving one or possible several individuals," Philadelphia Police Lt. Norman Davenport said.
Cione was only on the force for one year when his life was tragically taken.
On Thursday, Philadelphia police pleaded with the community for answers.
"Hopefully today, there will be somebody out there, someone with a piece of information, somebody who knows something that can turn it over," Acting Philadelphia Police Commissioner Christine Coulter said.
The Philadelphia Police Department is hoping an arrest will bring the Cione family some much-needed justice and closure.
"We will never forget them, as we don't forget any of our people who we lost who were killed in the line of duty," Coulter said.
There is a $30,000 reward being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of Cione's murderer.