SAN ANTONIO — Looking at an old photo of her murdered friend Wayne Elley, homeless activist Susana Segura said softly "He was a good person. He was kind. He was very smart. He knew a little bit about everything. He had a hippy heart. He traveled a lot. Spoke perfect Spanish. Very happy, you never saw him in a grouchy mood."
Segura said she was doing online research, looking for another homeless friend, when she came across a Crime Stoppers report about Elley's murder.
Segura said she had lost touch with the 62-year-old some time ago, after he ended up badly burned.
"Last year we were looking for his next of kin. We were told that he had been burned, he was at BAMC and in critical condition and they needed his next of kin to continue helping him," Segura said, adding that homeless advocates were told that Elley was set on fire by someone while he slept in his tent.
"There were two attempts on his life in one year. This is what houseless people have to deal with on a day to day basis," Segura said.
Elley kept busy with a series of jobs, Segura said, but he was always struggling to make ends meet.
"He had a very low paying job and he struggled with room rentals and went from place to place. Sometimes he didn't have a place to stay so he was on the streets," adding "He had a lot of mobility issues because I think he got hit by a car once and he had a bit of a limp."
With regard to his murder on February 14, 2023, a Crime Stoppers update indicates police were called to the 1600 block of West Martin at 6:30 pm for reports of a shooting.
Detectives said officers discovered Elley in the driveway of a home with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest.
Witnesses told police they didn't see or hear anything suspicious at the time.
Police said Elley was rushed to the hospital where he died from his injuries March 26.
Learning that her friend had been claimed by family members was a comfort for Segura.
"I was so worried that nobody would claim his body and he would end up in a pauper's grave, three people deep, with no marker. It's good to know he went somewhere," Segura said after speaking with a funeral home representative .
A central Texas funeral home told Segura they handled the arrangements for Elley on behalf on an out of state relative.
Knowing that Elley has no local family members to advocate for justice, Segura said she hopes the Crime Stoppers reward of up to $5,000 for clues that lead to an arrest will make a difference.
"I hope somebody comes forward with information about who shot him. I hope there is some justice for him."