Police still seek killer 2 years after Rostraver store clerk was gunned down
Dawn Brady recalled a telephone conversation she had on May 10, 2015, with her son, Drew James Molinari of Belle Vernon, wishing her a happy Mother's Day. They talked of their plans for the upcoming week, just as they always did.
"Drew never forgot to call ... or text on a holiday," Brady said. "He was a good-hearted person. ... He wasn't an angel, but he was always willing to help anyone who asked."
Brady turned somber as she told reporters that was the last conversation she had with Drew, her oldest son. He was gunned down less than 24 hours later.
Rostraver Township Police said minutes after Molinari arrived for his job as a sales clerk at Minniti Motorsports at 8 a.m. May 11, 2015, he was shot multiple times by a man wearing a blue hoodie.
On the second anniversary of the Molinari's murder, Brady and his girlfriend, Theresa Ritter, joined police and Westmoreland County Detectives as investigators released surveillance photos and video of the suspect, who ran from the store and into his car parked near the auto parts store in the busy Tri-County Shopping Plaza, off Route 201, near Interstate 70.
Brady said she agreed to revisit the crime in hopes of jarring the memory of potential witnesses who saw something suspicious before or after the shooting. Surveillance photographs show a silver or grey 2003 Chevrolet Impala that police believe was involved.
"Nobody deserves to lose a loved one like this. I don't have my oldest son to talk to anymore. ... I just have a stone in a cemetery," she said.
"We're just asking if anyone saw anything, no matter how small, even if you think it wasn't important at the time, that they step forward now," Brady said.
Township police Chief Greg Resetar and county Detective Randy Gardner said investigators have collected evidence and received a lot of tips just after the shooting, but the leads have been few and far between in recent months.
"This is an ongoing, active investigation, and we do not want this case forgotten," Resetar said. "We are hopeful that this new information will lead to additional tips that will assist investigators in connecting the dots and ultimately solving this crime."
Both Brady and Ritter said that during separate telephone conversations with Molinari the day before the shooting, nothing seemed amiss.
Molinari was shot multiple times about 15 minutes after the store opened at 8 a.m., according to police and witness reports. Police believe it was a "targeted" shooting by a man wearing a hoodie who walked into the business shortly after it opened, shot Molinari and ran.
Molinari's body was found on the floor behind the counter with several gunshot wounds to the head and torso.
Authorities have not released the number of times Molinari was shot or the type of weapon used. They declined to say whether they believe he acted alone.
"We have evidence — just not enough. We know there is someone out there who will help us solve this crime," Resetar said.
Although Resetar and Gardner declined to disclose a motive, they said it was not robbery.
Molinari graduated from Brownsville Area High School. He was a member of First Christian Church of Fayette City, according to his obituary. An avid pool player, he belonged to the Belgium, Russian and Slovak clubs in Charleroi.
He is survived by his mother and her husband, Martin, of Tionesta; his father, Darrell Molinari and his wife, Cathy, of Charleroi; a brother, Chuck Stephenson of Belle Vernon; and his grandmother, Paula Gaydos Dutchko of Belle Vernon, with whom he resided.
Anyone with information should call Rostraver Police at 724-929-4111, Westmoreland detectives at 724-830-3949 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-4PA-TIPS. Tips can be submitted online to crimewatchpa.com/crimestoppers/cases/cold.
Paul Peirce is a reporter for the Tribune-Review. He can be reached at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.
