It’s been more than a year and a half and the family of a Hattiesburg man, who was found dead in Wayne County in 2007, is still waiting for an arrest to be made in their family member’s disappearance and death.

Last week, the family of S.T. Alfred of Hattiesburg announced that it is offering a cash reward for information concerning his disappearance and death.

Diane James — Metro Crime Stoppers Coordinator for the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department, the Lamar County Sheriff’s Department, the Petal Police Department, and the Hattiesburg Police Department — said law enforcement agencies are offering rewards, however, the family of Alfred is increasing the amount of the cash reward for information concerning Alfred’s death.

James said the family is now offering an undisclosed amount of money (several thousand dollars), along with the $1,000 for tips from the state Crime Stoppers, and $1,000 from Metro Crime Stoppers that will lead investigators with the Highway Patrol’s (Dept. of Public Safety) Mississippi Bureau of Investigation to the arrest of a suspect(s) in connection with the unsolved death investigation of Alfred.

Family members say Mr. Alfred was a well liked and friendly retiree who relocated from Louisiana to an apartment in Hattiesburg, as a result of hurricane Katrina.

Family members say the 65 year-old black male was last seen in the Little Rock community of Foxworth in Marion County on Dec. 1, 2006. On that day, he was delivering some money to his sister as a birthday gift for her. After he left Foxworth, Mr. Alfred was not seen again, until a fisherman discovered skeletal remains in the Chickasawhay River in Wayne County over the Easter weekend of 2007, his abandoned car was also recovered in that area by authorities.

James said information resulting in an arrest could lead to a cash reward.

“All Metro Crime Stoppers tipsters must first contact the hotline and receive an I.D. number prior to the arrest of the suspect(s) to be eligible for a cash reward,” James explained. “My heart was deeply touched after recently speaking with Mr. Alfred’s relatives. ... I believe tips from the public could possibly provide them (Mr. Alfred’s family) with some answers and closure about the final events leading up to his death.”

She said all tips on the death investigation will be turned over to investigators with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations for the State Highway Patrol Department.

Crime Stoppers takes the tips and information, however, the board of directors will determine and distribute the reward payouts when a suspect(s) is arrested.

“This case has not been forgotten by law enforcement or the victim’s family,” James said. “The public has never let us (Crime Stoppers) down and our hotline is open for any tips on Mr. Alfred’s death investigation.”

Anyone with information about this death investigation is encouraged to report it to authorities. All tips can be made anonymous by calling the tip hotline at 601-582-STOP(7867).