‘They got away with murder’ 5 years after Richland killing, father hopes for justice
Five years after a Richland man was gunned down in front of his apartment, his father is still waiting for justice.
In the weeks after the shooting, Jon Elizondo felt certain that someone would be caught for his son’s murder.
But those weeks turned into months and the months have turned into years. And now, he’s worried the person or people responsible for shooting Emilio Elizondo will get away with it.
“I’m hoping that they will do something,” he told the Tri-City Herald. “I’m hoping that they won’t let these guys murder someone else because they got away with murder.”
Emilio Elizando was outside of his home about 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2019 when someone started shooting. Multiple shell casings were found outside of the house. One of the shots hit the 21-year-old man in the head, killing him.
The shooting shook the normally quiet neighborhood across the street from the Goethals Park Natural Playground.
Several mysteries remain around the killing, including why he was outside when the shooting started and if he was targeted because of his gang ties or for another reason.
It marked a change for the city, which at the time hadn’t seen a murder in five years. Since then, Richland has seen at least one homicide a year, except for 2021.
Richland police have not put out any new information about the murder since 2019, but community relations specialist Claire Venema told the Tri-City Herald that the case is still under investigation.
The department was not able to share any updates because of the open investigation, she said.
Jon Elizondo, 49 wants to reinvigorate interest in his son’s case. He has reached out to police every year, but said he doesn’t hear anything back about it.
A Troubled History
Jon Elizondo is the first to admit that his son had problems.
The 21-year-old man was an active member of the Florencia 13 gang, and a convicted felon who was facing charges related to pointing a gun at people in a passing car before his death.
He also sold the gun to an acquaintance that was used in the July 4, 2013 shooting of Joshua Snapp, 17.
While he had trouble with the law, family also described him as a caring young man who had moved into the duplex near the corner of Goethals and Davenport Street about five months earlier.
He lived there with his girlfriend and their infant daughter and toddler son. He had 11 siblings between his parents.
Jon Elizondo said his son had a good side and would help people without any hesitation.
“He had a very good heart,” Jon told the Tri-City Herald. “He was just going down the wrong path.”
That good heart may have gotten him into trouble on the day before the murder. His father heard that Emilio went to Joker’s Casino the night before the murder to protect one of his friends.
He had heard the murder stemmed from that dispute, but he hasn’t heard any confirmation of that information from police.
“I feel like there is something else going on and that they aren’t charging him for some reason,” he said. “They said they had all of this evidence and they were going to charge him, and then they said they didn’t have any evidence.”
Waiting for answers
Jon Elizondo continues to miss his son, he told the Tri-Cities while his voice broke. He reaches out every year to police to find out if there is anything new.
He has heard that the case has been passed between detectives, but it feels like to him that nothing is happening. He still hopes that he will see justice.
“It’s been really hard to cope without my son,” he said. “It’s really hard to wake up every day knowing that my son is gone.”
Anyone with information about the shooting can contact Richland police using the non-emergency dispatch number at 509-628-0333.