SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio family is restless for answers. July marks two years since Raymond “Ray” Sneed was murdered at his northeast apartment.
Tamika Lee spoke with KENS 5 for the first time on Monday. She said her son had just turned 25 and was looking forward to becoming a father.
“He was very excited to meet [his son],” said Lee. “We actually laid him to rest on the day I had scheduled for his baby shower.”
Sneed was murdered one month before his son was born.
Lee remembers his warm personality and loving spirit.
“Ray was the jokester of the family,” she said. “He just wanted to see everybody happy. He made sure he put a smile on everyone’s face. Not too often you would be around him and he would be quiet. He was just a loving human being, we called him a gentle giant.”
On July 1, 2021, police were called to the Alamo Estates Apartments on Midcrown Drive for reports of gunfire. When officers arrived, they found Sneed dead inside his apartment. Lee says there were no signs of forced entrance.
Witnesses saw a woman fleeing the area, according to investigators.
“I think it’s someone he knew, but not someone close to him,” Lee said.
Two years later, Lee can’t believe her son’s killer hasn’t been caught.
“It’s not easy,” she sobbed. “Not when it’s your child. Knowing that someone chose to play God with your baby’s life … it’s hard.”
Lee says the only gift Ray was able to give his son was his name.
“I feel like we have all been robbed, but how do we explain to his son why he doesn’t have a daddy here?” she asked. “The blessing in it all is that so many people reached out from near and far to share stories of how Ray impacted their lives. You want to know that you raised your child to be a good person, with a good heart. I feel like my grandson will feel his father’s love through friends and family.”
Lee told KENS 5 her healing journey can’t start without answers.
“I know that individuals know what happened to my son,” she said. “I ask that they call Crime Stoppers. As a mother, I don’t feel my son is truly resting. I need him to rest.”
For a limited time, Crime Stoppers is offering a guaranteed reward of up to $15,000 dollars information leading to an arrest. You can report anonymously. If you know anything, please call 210-207-7635 or text SATIP to TIP411.