Las Vegas NowFamily Wants Justice for Son's Murder

Family Wants Justice for Son's Murder

Joseph Lopez left home Monday, telling his mother he would be back. But six hours later, when he wasn't answering her calls, Joseph's mother Elaine came looking for him, only to find a crime scene. She knew instantly something had happened to her son.

"He was a good boy. He was a good, good boy," she said.

The mother struggles with loss of her only son, a boy she adopted as a special needs preemie 17 years ago.

"He was a very loving young man," she said.

Joseph was a hockey player and musician, the type of kid who's home on time. When he was late, his mother knew to go looking for him.

"He never came home for dinner, he didn't answer his phone and text message and I got worried," she said.

She found police just down the street investigating his murder and how his body end up in a drainage ditch. Police believe he may have been in a fight and chased into the drainage ditch, then shot several times.

Detectives are looking for two men who may be involved. They were caught on surveillance cameras nearby.

"I was looking forward to him graduating, and some day getting married and having grandchildren. And now I'll never have that and for that, I can't say i'll ever be able to forgive them," said Joseph's other adoptive mother Pamela Leonard.

Leonard says her son's loving nature may have been what made him a target of these killers, "He had a good heart he cared about people. Joseph looked for the good in people and I think that is part of what happened."

The family has faith their son's killer will be found, and until then they hold onto their memories the boy with the bright smile.

The family feels someone out there knows what happened Monday and they are offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. If you have information, you're asked to Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

Email your comments to Reporter Amanda Hernandez