RALEIGH, N.C. — On May 21, 2002, police found 23-year-old Stephanie Bennett raped and strangled in her north Raleigh apartment. Investigators continue to follow up every lead on the case, but so far, there has not been a break in the case. This week marks three years since the murder and three years of mourning for her parents.
"I didn't have her for Mother's Day and of course the anniversary of when it happened is coming up. It's pretty hard," said Molly Hodges, Bennett's mother.
"Nobody should have to go through this at all," said Carmen Bennett, Stephanie's father.
Bennett would have been 26 years old if she were alive today and her parents said the three years that have passed have done nothing to soothe the pain of her death.
"I lost my only daughter and she wasn't only my daughter. She was my best friend," Hodges said.
"I think about her on a daily basis. She was such a wonderful young lady," Bennett said.
Carmen Bennett is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the killer.
"Patience is a good virtue that I don't have a lot of, but we're still being patient and hopeful," he said.
"It's very frustrating that he's still out there and he could attack your mother, your best friend anybody, anytime," Hodges said.
Until there is an arrest, the family said it will not rest.
"She basically was just starting to live her own life and it ended so tragically," Hodges said. "I would just like to know why."
"You kind of keep waiting for her to call and then you have that realization that that's not going to happen," Bennett said.
Stephanie Bennett's parents believe that the biggest obstacle in the case is that there's not another one like it in the country, so there is no evidence the same suspect has struck again. They keep hoping someone will remember something that will give investigators the break they need.
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