 Christopher Skinner's boyfriend, Ryan Cooke, and Christopher's mom, Ellen Skinner, embrace near the spot where the Toronto man was run down and killed, Tuesday, December 8, 2009. In a desperate bid to solve Chris Skinner's murder before Christmas, Toronto Police have offered a $50,000 reward to help crack the case. (Sun Media/Greg Henkenhaf)
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TORONTO -- In a bid to find his killers, Chris Skinner's parents came to the downtown spot for the first time yesterday where their son was beaten, run over by an SUV and left for dead 51 days ago.
Fighting back tears, Ellen and Warren Skinner made a desperate plea and offered a $25,000 reward -- raised from friends, family and colleagues -- for someone to help Toronto Police solve their son's brutal and seemingly senseless murder.
"It's been a roller-coaster for seven weeks, I think we're doing pretty well but we have our ups and downs and every hour is different from the one before," Skinner's father Warren said. "He was a friend to everybody."
The private reward is on top of a $50,000 reward announced yesterday by homicide cops for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the men in the SUV that killed Skinner at the intersection of Adelaide and Victoria Sts. on Oct. 18.
"We are looking for a witness to come forward," Homicide Det. Stacy Gallant said. "We are a couple of weeks away from Christmas time, the family ... is still suffering from the loss of Christopher and we're hoping that someone will come forward, claim this reward and do the right thing and bring justice to the murder of Christopher Skinner."
Skinner's sister Taryn echoed that plea to any potential witnesses.
"Put themselves in our shoes, think about their family, think about losing their best friend and their older brother and everything that is meaningful to them," she said as tears streaked down her face.
0"It would bring us a lot of peace and understanding."
Skinner, 27, was walking home Oct. 18 from Taryn's birthday party in the Entertainment District when he was attacked by a group of men riding in a black SUV.
After an attack that lasted only seconds and knocked Skinner to the ground, the men jumped back in the SUV, drove over him s and then sped away down Adelaide St. towards the Don Valley Pkwy.
"That encounter we believe was a mistake, or that Chris was trying to hail a cab and inadvertently struck the vehicle that was passing," Gallant said.
Skinner's long-time boyfriend Ryan Cooke summed up the impact of the pain caused by the murder.
"I've spent the last, ever since the night happened, trying to identify my own normal because my normal has always included him," Cooke said. "I have to get a whole new normal together now."
Anyone with information is asked to call the homicide unit at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS or online at 222tips.com.
DON.PEAT@SUNMEDIA.CA
