Monday was a bittersweet day for the family of Michael Garr. They were celebrating what would have been the teen's 16th birthday more than two months after he was stabbed to death in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.
"It would've been a significant event for all of us," Michael Peabody, Garr's godfather and uncle, told NBC10. "Kind of getting his license. I'm his godfather. I would've loved to have taught him how to drive. So all of those things are significant at 16."
On April 21 around 9:30 p.m., Garr, a student at Upper Darby High School, was found on the ground and suffering from a stab wound to the chest along the 200 block of Bridge Street in Drexel Hill.
A neighbor said she heard a man screaming for help. The man had told her that Garr was banging on his car, bleeding. Neighbors and responding medics tried to revive him but the teen was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 15-years-old.
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After the stabbing, police identified and spoke with multiple witnesses and possible persons of interest who they believed were in the area at the time of the incident. No arrests have been made however and no suspects have been identified.
As the investigation continues, Garr's family members gathered at a growing memorial in Drexel Hill on Monday to celebrate his birthday.
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"We're never going to forget him," Jen Steiber, Garr's cousin, told NBC10 on Monday. "We hope that no one does. He was special. He was a special boy."
Garr's family also announced the creation of their new nonprofit, "Dream Beyond the Bench" which aims to give scholarships by 2025 to young people interested in sports adjacent career paths such as sports broadcasting, which was Garr's dream job.
"The fact that Michael wanted to do that and how can we continue the support that the community showed when this happened,' Peabody said.
There is a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Garr's death. NBC10 reached out to police on Monday to see if there were any updates or new leads in the investigation. Police declined to comment.
"Still a lot of unanswered questions," Peabody said. "I will say that I fully support the police department. They've been doing everything that they can. The family's doing okay. We still struggle. And today is going to be a rough day."
Anyone with information on Garr's death should call Upper Darby police detectives at 484-574-1157.
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