BRADENTON, Fla. — An $8,000 reward is being offered for anyone with information that helps the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office solve a cold case.
The Gold Star Club and Manatee Crime Stoppers are putting up the cash for whatever tipster can lead detectives to the person who killed Samuel "Spanky" Conde just days before Christmas in 2014.
"Samuel Conde was known to law enforcement as a SUR 13 member and it’s believed that the person who shot Conde was a member of a rival area street gang," the sheriff's office wrote in a statement. "Due to the nature of the murder, witnesses remained tight lipped as to what occurred, and never did provide information about why Conde was shot."
So, what do investigators know so far?
Early in the morning on Dec. 20, 2014, a bunch of people were gathered at an address on 9th Street East near 37th Avenue East in Bradenton. Deputies say it was known to be a spot where groups illegally bought beer after local bars closed for the night.
Detectives say Conde was one of the people drinking there. They say witnesses told them there was a fight between rival gang members, and an unidentified person shot and killed him.
In the days immediately after, authorities got a few leads. But, they've struggled to crack the case because they say people aren't talking to them.
Conde's older brother, Gabriel, was actually murdered in a different gang-related shooting in 2018.
"That 2018 case was later solved and an arrest was made," the sheriff's office wrote. "The two shootings are not related."
Anyone with information about the 2014 murder should call the sheriff's office at 941-747-3011. Tipsters may also anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS or click here.
