ROCK HILL, S.C. — Rock Hill police are still working to find the suspect in the unsolved killing of an 82-year-old man at his home on New Year's Day in 2021. On Monday, law enforcement re-released a sketch of a man they wish to identify and interview.
William "Bill" Mason died from injuries he suffered during a home invasion on the morning of Jan. 1, 2021, police said. Mason was a veteran of the United States Air Force and lived alone after his wife's death.
“It’s distressing to know that this person is still out there,” Matthew Manwarren, who was a neighbor to the victim for 16 years, told WCNC Charlotte's Lexi Wilson.
Mason said the incident is unsettling. Now, there's unresolved turmoil.
“It would be nice to have some closure for the neighborhood and family,” Manwarren said.
In 2021, neighbors called the police after seeing the door on Mason's Ferndale Drive home was left open. They saw signs of what they feared was a possible burglary. The 82-year-old was rushed to a hospital where he died two weeks later.
“Nobody could imagine that such a horrible thing happened to such a nice person and a very gentle person at that,” Manwarren said.
"The atrocity that occurred to Bill, in his home, should have never happened," detectives said after Mason's death. "The pursuit of justice for the family and friends who loved Bill will be relentless."
On Monday, the Rock Hill Police Department again shared a sketch of a person of interest in the case.
“If something sparks your interest about it, go ahead and call. There’s no reason not to. We follow up on all our tips,” Lt. Michael Chavis of the Rock Hill Police Department said. “We want violent criminals to be held accountable for their crimes.”
Anyone with information about this homicide or any other incident is asked to call the Rock Hill Police Department at 803-329-7293.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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