Still no arrests after woman killed in front of mom in Northern Liberties

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It has been nearly one year since a 26-year-old woman was shot and killed in front of her mother during a robbery in Northern Liberties, and there have still been no arrests.

Amber Long, 26, was shot in the 900 block of North Front Street on January 19, 2014.

Her mother, Stephanie, spoke to Action News on Friday for the first time since the murder.

She says there's not a day that goes by that she doesn't think about her daughter - her one and only child.

"People keep asking me 'Do you think the police have done everything they can?' and it's like 'Yeah,'" Long said.

Stephanie and Amber were walking together after a night out on the town when two bandits sprung up on them out of nowhere.

They snatched Stephanie's purse and shot Amber in the chest, killing her.

Surveillance footage shows the men getting into a late model Chevy Impala where another man was waiting.

Those men are still at large.

"They haven't gotten any usable tips. And, God, I don't understand," Long said. "I do not understand."

Stephanie Long says police have gone through hours of surveillance and now believe the car had New York license plates.

They went through numerous car rental records, checked cell phone tower signals in the area, but so far... nothing.

Long finds it hard to believe that nobody saw anything, and hopes they finally come forward with information.

"This is somebody who is murderous, who is trigger-happy. Do you want him for a neighbor? Do you want him living down the street from your daughter?" Long said.

An architect at Nest Architecture, Amber Long had traveled to Italy to study, she was an accomplished artist with impressive drawings, a young woman with a good crowd of friends. And as a senior in high school she wrote a touching letter to her mom thanking her:

"Thanks for giving me life and love, and that love will stay with me as long as I live. And one day I will have a child of my own and pass that love on. Happy Mother's day. I hope this letter means as much to you as it does to me."

Meanwhile, Stephanie Long has created a legacy of scholarships at Philadelphia University and works with Handbags For Peace to give self-defense training - doing everything she can to keep Amber's story alive until justice comes.

"I have done everything that I possibly can to keep her alive, to keep her work alive," she said.

There is a $37,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

If you know something, you are being asked to call the homicide unit of the Philadelphia Police or call 215-686-TIPS (8477).