Mother believes son's murder was case of mistaken identity

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Cathryn Thorpe says her son, 25-year-old Christian Crewes, was always thinking of others first.

"He was always checking on people. I mean at his funeral, like all these people, so many people were telling me, oh he used to come check on me like once a week, and I didn't even know he would just make rounds and just really like check and make sure people were okay."

On Saturday March 30, 2019, Crewes was outside his grandmother's house along the 1700 block of Harrison Street in Philadelphia's Frankford section.

Just after 4:30 p.m. police were called for a report of a shooting.

Crewes was found suffering from a gunshot wound inside a burgundy 2016 Nissan Maxima with PA tags.

He was pronounced dead at the hospital. But initially, there was confusion over Crewes' identity.

"Even in the morgue he was listed under his uncle. His uncle's ID was in the car and he was in the car," says Thorpe.

Thorpe believes Crewes' uncle, who is also deceased, was the intended target.

"He was in the wrong place, it was a mistaken identity. This was not meant for him."

The City of Philadelphia is offering up to $20,000 in reward money for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

All you have to do is call the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.

All calls will remain anonymous.

"Whatever information you have, whatever information, whoever you're affiliated with, whoever told you anything, I don't care. Bring it in. Bring it to the detectives. I want justice. I'm tired of waiting," pleads Thorpe.