Father dies before murder solved

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Willie Wells captured an audience and drew tears when he pleaded for help in solving the murder of his daughter Robyn Griggs-Johnson on live television.

"Let's come together. Let's do what we've got to do. Let's tell on the people committing some of those crimes," said Wells during WOOD TV8's Beyond the Violence community forum on Jan. 31.

Griggs-Johnson, a 47-year-old mom and grandmother, was shot and killed Dec 18, 2012. She opened the door to her Prince Street SE home and someone opened fire. 

"Telling is not easy but it's not that hard that we can cause lives to be lost. My daughter is gone," Wells said.

Wells also talked about his failing health. A month and a half later, he died of heart complications.

He will never know who killed his daughter.

"It's not easy to go tell on somebody," Griggs-Johnson's son Bobby Griggs  told 24 Hour News 8 in January. "But it's definitely not easy for us to deal with our mother gone and we don't know nothing. We don't got a reason, we don't got a cause. It's definitely not easy."

The Grand Rapids Police Major Case Team is investigating Griggs-Johnson's death, but hasn't been able to pinpoint a suspect or a motive. There is now a $2,000 reward for information in Griggs-Johnson's murder.

Anyone with information is asked to call GRPD at 616.456.3400 or Silent Observer at 616.774.2345.