PORTSMOUTH, Va. — More than two years after four people were killed in a shooting inside a house on Maple Avenue, no one is being held accountable.
Samuel Jones, Georgio Lee, Oleisha Mears, and Ashley Merricks all lost their lives that day.
"It bothers me every second, every hour," Shecora Lee, Georgio's sister, recently said in an interview with News 3.
Watch previous coverage: Man found not guilty on all charges related to 2022 Portsmouth quadruple murder
The cases against the two men arrested for the crime have both ended.
In August 2022, Portsmouth police announced they were charging two cousins with the murders: Raymond and Antwann Gore.
Raymond Gore went to trial in January and a jury found him not guilty.
Watch previous coverage: Charges dismissed against second man accused in 2022 Portsmouth quadruple murder
Last month, a judge dismissed the case against Antwann Gore.
"It's always stressful when you're representing someone in a quadruple homicide and his freedom for the rest of his life was at issue," said Warren Kozak, who represented Antwann alongside his daughter, Holly, and attorney Don Scott.
"The case was what it was. It's a tragedy that four people lost their lives, and we feel bad for the families," Kozak said.
The prosecution's case largely relied on the testimony of a witness named Michael Canty.
Watch previous coverage: Court docs reveal details in Portsmouth's Maple Ave shooting that killed 4 people
Canty was in jail in Portsmouth when he told investigators he had information about the case and claimed he saw Raymond Gore open the door and start shooting.
"Allegedly, they both had on masks, but he somehow identified Raymond," Warren Kozak said. "They said the other guy had long dreadlocks, which matched our client."
Canty's reliability was called into question during the trial, and in court motions, prosecutors wrote that they were not moving forward with the case against Antwann Gore because Canty's testimony would not be sufficient.
"Each time he made statements about the case, his recollection and his story changed," Holly Kozak said. "When you have someone who says they witnessed a gruesome murder, you expect their memory to be so good because they witnessed something so heinous, and their credibility is important."
Watch previous coverage: Portsmouth Police build community relationships on Maple Avenue after quadruple homicide
Police did not respond to News 3's request for comment on the case.
In a statement to News 3, the Portsmouth Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said they, along with law enforcement, had "exhausted all available options to locate and identify uncooperative witnesses in order to seek justice and accountability in this matter."
News 3 asked the Kozaks whether they think the killer is still out there. "That's what we think. That's what we believe. For the sake of the families, hopefully, one day they catch these people, as it's a terrible crime," Warren Kozak responded.
Family members are still holding out hope that someone will be held accountable for the brutal crime.
"We want answers, so we're going to ask the public or anyone who saw anything that morning to come forward to the police—anyone who remembers anything," Lee said.
