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$25,000 reward offered in 1992, 2002 killings

The police chief announced the unprecedented amount during a meeting of family and friends of Melanie Warren and Clarence Bolden, both shot to death.

By JACOB H. FRIES
Published August 10, 2006

CLEARWATER - As Sgt. John Scacca described the unsolved murders, many of the three dozen people at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center Tuesday night broke down in sobs, and some had to leave the room.

Then, after about an hour, police Chief Sid Klein stood up and called for the microphone.

"I want to turn this up a notch," he said.

He made an offer - unprecedented in his 25 years as chief - to donate $25,000 to Crime Stoppers for anyone who comes forward with information leading to an arrest and conviction in the shooting of either Melanie Warren or Clarence Bolden.

"We've been very successful in taking a lot of drug money out of the North Greenwood community," Klein said. "My intention is to put some back in."

The audience members, many of whom had grown weary with crying, erupted in applause at Klein's pledge as other police officers in the room turned to each other with smiles and looks of surprise.

Klein said later that he had not planned such a dramatic announcement, but after hearing the emotional appeals of relatives from both families, he felt he had to do something more.

"I think we needed to create a spark to make something happen in these two cases," he said Wednesday. "And I think this is only a starting point and that last night's meeting will be a rally point ... to deal with what's going on in the fabric of North Greenwood."

Warren, at age 15, was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1992. Bolden, 37, was hosting a poker game of friends in 2002 when two men walked in and shot him.

Jonathan Wade, a social worker and activist in the North Greenwood community, approached police about five months with the idea of hosting a meeting in hopes of generating new leads in the cases. Wade and police officials suspect people in Clearwater know more about the killings than they have shared with detectives.

Members of both Warren and Bolden's family praised Klein for his bold gesture.

"It was a shock to me as well," said Bolden's wife, Andrea. "I think it will make a great difference."

Susan Fraley, project administrator of Crime Stoppers, said its board of directors will have to figure out how to handle Klein's proposed donation. The organization's bylaws limit rewards to $1,000 for information because it doesn't want assisting law enforcement to become a get-rich scheme, she said.

"Historically, our tips are limited to $1,000," Fraley said. "(But) I'm going to address it with the board and let them make a decision on how they want to proceed."

In six years, tips to the Crime Stoppers hotline has resulted in 222 arrests. For all those leads, Fraley said the board of directors recommended a total of $42,000 in rewards, $22,000 of which was ultimately collected. By comparison, she said Klein's pledge is certainly significant.

"Money talks," Klein said. "Let's see if anyone now begins a discussion."

TO HELP:

Anyone with information about either unsolved murder is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477.

ABOUT THE CRIMES:

Melanie Warren

It was a warm night, May 24, 1992. Melanie sat on the porch about 11:30 p.m., waiting for someone to give her a ride home to Tarpon Springs, where she lived with grandparents.

Then a car rolled by, the driver firing four to six shots at the house on Jones Street. Three bullets hit the house. One hit Melanie in the head.

Melanie, a good student and athlete, was not the target, police think. She was simply in the wrong place.

Police do not have a detailed description of the car. Based on a glimpse by a witness, the car is believed to be a late-1970s model, four-door car, possibly a Lincoln. The car is light-colored or white with a blue vinyl roof.

Clarence Bolden

Bolden, 37, was playing cards with friends at a cottage on Fulton Avenue on Feb. 7, 2002, when two masked men burst in to rob the group.

When police arrived, they found one man with a gunshot wound to his arm and then Bolden, who was already dead.

Bolden had a daughter, then 7, and owned a lawn service business. Friends said he was happy-go-lucky, his face always stretched in a smile.

[Last modified August 10, 2006, 07:06:18]