SILENT WITNESS

Dec. 19, 2009

Dec 19, 2009, 8:14 PM | Updated: Jun 5, 2012, 4:22 am

For the first time in years, a Phoenix mom is feeling some hope this Christmas. There’s a break in her daughter’s road rage murder.

Phoenix police detective Darren Burch takes us back to June 14th, 2003, when 20-year-old Linsey Chainhalt was driving home to North Phoenix from Mesa in the middle of the night.

She had three of her friends in the car with her, when a dark-colored SUV began messing with them.

“They got to the area of 20th Street and Grovers when this SUV cut them off and they slammed on the brakes and the occupants of that vehicle got out and opened fire, shooting all the occupants and killing the 20-year-old driver,” Burch said.

Her mother had been pleading for help solving this seemingly unsolvable case ever since.

There’s been a breakthrough.

“Detectives just recently informed us that there are two persons of interest that they are looking for to talk to and they’re key to the solving of this case.”

The first is Ricardo Sanchez Molinares. Police described Molinares as a 6-foot-3-inch, 280-pound man about 30 years of age.

The second is Fermin Gomez. Police estimated that the 28-year-old Gomez stands 5-foot-7-inches tall and weighs 125 pounds.

“You could just tell by the passion and the pain of this mother how much she loved her daughter and what a good kid this daughter was,” Burch said.

“The idea that justice could come – she is so excited.”

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Dec. 19, 2009