Patrick O'Neill was killed on Oct. 30, 1975 when he interrupted a daytime burglary at his family's Deptford farmhouse.
DEPTFORD TWP. -- It's been 40 years since 17-year-old Patrick O'Neill was killed as he interrupted a burglary in his family home and his family and the county prosecutor's office is still searching for his killer.
Patrick O'Neill, 17, was shot and killed in his Deptford Township home in 1975. The Gloucester COunty Prosecutor's office is still looking for his killer. It is one of the longest cold-cases in the county. O'Neill, a senior at Deptford High School, returned home from a half day of working at his cooperative education job on Oct. 30, 1975, but he never made it to Halloween.
It is believed that O'Neill interrupted a daytime burglary at the family's Almonesson Road farmhouse. He was shot and killed that day, and various items were reported stolen from the home.
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Michael O'Neill has held out hope for the past 40 years that his brother's killer or killers would be found and that he will see justice done eventually.
"We continue to have faith that those responsible will be identified and held accountable in some way," he wrote in a recent email to the county Prosecutor's Office. "We struggle every day with the thought that there are people who have direct knowledge of the events of that day, yet still fail to step forward."
The murder investigation is Gloucester County's longest-running cold case and while the crime may have occurred decades ago, police are still working to find who is responsible.
The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office and Deptford Police Department continue to work together and have re-interviewed multiple people from North Carolina to the Canadian border in connection with the case, according to the prosecutor's office.
A $10,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible, with some of that money coming from Michael O'Neill.
The Prosecutor's Office made an arrest just this week in another cold case, and its officers are hoping to be able to do the same here. In that case a Philadelphia man has been charged with the 2006 murder Juan Cuevas, who was beaten to death in his own home while his children were tied up.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Det. William Perna at 856-385-5645 or Det. Cpl. John Seneck at 856-845-6300. Tips can also be anonymously texted to CRIMES (274637) with the word GLOTIP and your message.
Rebecca Forand may be reached at rforand@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
