$20,000 reward offered in murder

'UNANSWERED QUESTIONS'

By Scott Moyers ~ Southeast Missourian

Two men sit in jail charged in the kidnapping and murder of Ralph Lape Jr., but Lape's family isn't convinced everyone who was involved is behind bars.

"Our family feels there are unanswered questions," said Lape's sister, Diane Miller of Cape Girardeau. "There are too many things that don't make sense."

That's why Lape's family is offering $20,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of any additional people involved.

Miller said she agrees with police, who say that Mark A. Gill, 31, and Justin M. Brown, 22, both of Cape Girardeau, entered Lape's home in rural Cape Girardeau County on July 8 and forced him into his pickup truck. He was later shot and buried in a shallow grave near Portageville, Mo.

But Lape said she doesn't think that's the whole story.

"I think they were the ones who carried out the crime," Miller said Thursday. "But I'm not convinced that it ends there."

Miller didn't want to detail what questions she and the rest of the family -- a daughter, a brother from St. Louis, and a brother- and sister-in-law -- have. She did say they have held family meetings and decided the reward is the best option.

"There are a lot of whys," Miller said. "Maybe this will get some answers. Somebody has answers."

The suspects remain in custody at the Cape Girardeau County Jail. A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 30 before Associate Circuit Judge Gary Kamp.

Lt. David James, who heads the Cape Girardeau County Major Case Squad which investigated the crime, said the family suspects Gill and Brown may have been put up to it.

"They're wondering if someone else isn't behind the scenes," James said. "They're wanting to be sure we've got everyone responsible."

James said he believes police do have the men responsible for the act of kidnapping and killing Lape. But he wouldn't rule out that someone else may have been involved in planning the crime.

"You never really know," he said. "You're never completely 100 percent certain of anything until you get through a trial and get all the information in."

Lape's family said that the case was not closed contributed to their thinking, but James said that is procedure to leave a case open until a conviction.

James said he could not reveal whether the suspects had spoken of someone else being involved.

"This is a family with unanswered questions," James said. "They asked us about putting up a reward. I told them they can do what they want. It may even draw out some more information. It may provide this family with some answers."

Since the murder, life for Lape's family has understandably been bad.

"It's been a nightmare," Miller said. "It's like something you watch on television. But when you turn the TV off, it doesn't go away."

The Millers said they are by no means unhappy with the ongoing investigation by police, whom they described as professional, understanding and forthcoming.

"This is not us reacting out of rage or vengeance," said Mitch Miller, Diane's husband.

"Justice is the word," Diane Miller said. "We only want justice."

Miller said she is doing this because her brother would have done it for his family.

"If this happened to us, he'd do the same thing," she said. "If he had some gut feeling, if things were unsettled, he'd do it. He knows we won't rest until everyone involved is brought to justice."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137