Auto Zone increases reward in clerk's death

Call Crime Stoppers at (330) 746-CLUE. Callers remain anonymous.
YOUNGSTOWN -- A 25,000 reward is being offered to help solve the shooting death of an Auto Zone clerk, and Reginald K. Everson is being sought as a person of interest in the crime.
Edward Agee, 52, of Star Street, was killed during a robbery attempt at the McCartney Road business at 8:50 p.m. May 2, 2006. Three gunmen wearing Halloween-type masks entered the store. Agee fell in front of a sales counter after being shot.
Reward
The 25,000 reward was announced Wednesday during a press conference at the East Side store. Auto Zone had been offering a 10,000 reward to help solve the case but believes the increase may bring closure, said Bill Fletcher, Auto Zone district manager.
Anyone with information about the crime or the whereabouts of Everson, 20, last known to live on Youngstown's South Side, is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (330) 746-CLUE. Callers remain anonymous.
Everson has been sought by detectives for months, said Capt. Kenneth Centorame, chief of detectives. It's possible Everson may have been one of the gunmen, Centorame said.
Agee, when he went to work that day last May, never thought it would be his last, Centorame said.
He hopes the reward will create awareness and energize the investigation being conducted by Detective Sgts. Patrick Kelly and Brad Blackburn. Kelly developed information about Everson as a person of interest.
What happened
Centorame said three men entered the store and shot Agee in cold blood. "Somewhere, someone knows where [Everson] is," he said.
He said Crime Stoppers will determine how the reward will be paid out to whoever turns in Everson's whereabouts and any other pertinent information.
Centorame said the Agee family has gone through a lot of grief and their situation has to be weighing on those who know something about the crime.
Among those attending the press conference was Agee's brother-in-law, Sam Cappitte. Cappitte's sister Rose was married to Agee.
Cappitte said the months since Agee's death have been terrible for the family. He described his brother-in-law as a great person who is missed every day.
"It's hard to believe someone could do that," Cappitte said of the armed robbery attempt that ended in murder.
Fletcher said Agee was like a family member. He said Auto Zone employees are reminded of what happened every day they walk through the door.
The district manager said he was proud of the police, how fast they made it to the crime scene and the follow-up investigation.