$10,000 Reward Offered For Information On Gates Foundation Educator Found Shot Dead In Oakland Hills
OAKLAND (CBS SF) — Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the murder of a longtime San Francisco Bay Area man who worked for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Police say last Tuesday afternoon, 60-year-old David Ruenzel was found shot to death on a trail in an Oakland, California hills park where he hiked regularly.
He taught English for more than a decade at a private school in a San Francisco suburb and was a writer and editor at Teacher Magazine.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports Ruenzel had most recently worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which issued a statement calling him "a beloved educator, talented writer and valued partner in our work."
Police said they are investigating robbery as a possible motive for the crime.
Witnesses who were in the area said they heard three gunshots at the same time, Rose said.
Officers searched the area but no suspects were found, police said. However, officers recovered spent shell casings and a bullet near where the victim was found, Rose said.
Witnesses told police that they saw two men on the trail just before they heard the gunshots.
The first suspect is described as a black or possibly mixed race man in his late 20s to early 30s with dreadlocks, a medium complexion, high cheekbones, narrow face, thin build and wearing dark clothing, police said.
The second suspect is described as a black man who stands about 6 feet tall, weighs roughly 240 pounds, is clean-shaven, has short hair, out of shape and overly friendly, according to police. He was wearing dark clothes and a black backpack.
Police have released sketches of the suspects.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Police Department's investigations unit at (510) 690-6549 or dispatch center at (510) 881-1833. Calls will be confidential.
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