A local sailor's family held a vigil and increased a reward Saturday in hopes new information will help find his killer.
In December 2006, Ronald Harnish, 22, and two other sailors got into a confrontation with two men in Golden Hill. Harnish was shot to death and his friend wounded. Their attackers got away.
Harnish, had just been accepted to the Navy Seal program and seemed to have everything going for him. He was a decorated high school football player, and was inducted into the Lakewood Hall of Fame for his wrestling achievements, police said.
"He just inspired everyone to be what they could," said his mother, Tracy Wild. "He made it look easy even though he knew it wasn't."
The loss of Ronald left "a big black" hole in her life, said Wild, a resident of the Northern California college town of Chico. The sailor's younger brother, who planned to come down to San Diego to be with him and attend college, refuses to discuss the case, she said. Wild, who also had the support of parents and friends of other area murder victims at the vigil, offered a message for the killers.
"When you take good people like that out of the world, you're really hurting yourself," Wild said. "You need to come forward and say that you're sorry."
The family has raised a reward for information to $6,500. Crimestoppers is offering an additional $1,000. Harnish's family and friends hope it will motivate someone to come forward.
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"These are hard economic times. $7,500 is what the award is up to now, you can remain anonymous just by calling crimestoppers," Wild's friend Dayna Herroz said.
Anyone with information about this murder investigation is urged to call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.
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