Richard Hollingsworth's father, former Aston Police Chief Dave Hollingsworth, has seen a lot in his over two decades in law enforcement.
But on Halloween night, he was on the other end of the dreaded phone call he often had to make.
Police and firefighters in Chester had found his son burned to death off Elkington Road near Edgemont.
"To burn somebody that's still alive, that's pretty brutal, that's pretty callous," Hollingsworth said.
Delaware County detectives believe robbery was the motive. Richard's cell phone and wallet are missing.
Investigators have few leads. They do know Richard had been handing out candy at the Parkside Methodist Church around 8:00 p.m. He was wearing a red cape, part of his costume. He went home to his apartment and left a short time later. His body was found two hours later in a parking lot a few blocks away.
"He wasn't a vicious person. If you asked him for his last cigarette or shirt, he'd give it to you or he'd take homeless people and give them a place to stay," Hollingsworth said.
Richard's family says the 43-year-old was bi-polar and liked to drink, but was not involved in drugs.
They've now put up the $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
"I think somebody saw him walking or walking with someone down Edgemont Avenue on Halloween night, it was a nice night, only 9:30 at night, there's still people out," Hollingsworth
Anyone with information can submit a tip anonymously to the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
