The cause of a fire that killed Jamie Stickle in her Jeep five months ago continues to mystify investigators probing her death. And that mystery continues to haunt those who knew and loved the popular 33-year-old bartender and activist. "It's horrible not knowing, just horrible" said David Morrow, owner of the Pegasus bar Downtown, where Stickle worked for almost two years. "I think about it every day. Somebody must know or have seen what happened." Pittsburgh police, however, say that if someone does know what caused Stickle's Jeep to catch fire early Feb. 8, they have not found that person. "We've looked at every potential suspect, anybody that could have had a reason to harm her," Pittsburgh police Assistant Chief William Mullen said. "We've interviewed 30 or 40 people, traced her whereabouts that night and consulted with experts. But we can't find anyone or anything that can explain what caused the Jeep to catch fire." Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht said Stickle's case is among a very few his office has handled where it can determine how a person died, but not why. The coroner's office knows she died in a fire, but not how the fire started. "More often, we have cases that are somewhere between accident and suicide," Wecht said. "But it's very rare to have a case like this that could be homicide, but has not been ruled." Chuck Honse, Stickle's friend and former boss at Images nightclub, said he and others who helped organize the United for Jamie Campaign now must decide what to do with the $18,000 raised to reward the person who could identify someone who may have harmed Stickle. "We can't advertise it as a reward because they've never called it a crime," Honse said. "We're going to meet with the Lambda Foundation soon to decide what parameters will be placed on the money if it's used for her favorite charities." Stickles was open about her homosexuality, but neither police nor her friends believe that she may have been targeted for her sexual orientation. Stickle's mother, Margie Walls, continues to wait by the phone of her home in Uniontown, Fayette County, for some concrete answer as to her daughter's death. "She wasn't just my daughter, she was my best friend," Walls said with a twinge of anger in her voice. "I don't get any answers when I ask what happened to her. I don't understand why someone can't tell me why this happened." The mystery began about 4 a.m. on Feb 8, when city firefighters responded to a call for a car ablaze outside Stickle's Chesbro Street apartment on the North Side. Inside the Jeep, they found the charred remains of Stickle, who was burnt beyond recognition. Wecht's office used dental records to confirm her identity. City homicide detectives were able to retrace her final steps, as she went to several bars on Liberty Avenue from midnight until about 2:45 a.m. Detectives said they believe she may have been drinking and using cocaine that night. The coroner's office declined to provide details of the toxicology tests performed on her blood after her autopsy, citing privacy issues. Tony Rubino, the owner of the Liberty Avenue Saloon and one of the last people to see Stickle alive, said his friend was not drunk and he doubts she was using cocaine. Police found blood outside her Jeep and on the door handle, leading investigators to initially believe she may have been beaten. But the coroner's office said the fire killed her. Mullen said he doubts anyone could have injured her outside the Jeep and then placed her body upright in the seat, because she was a heavy woman. That still doesn't explain what caused the Jeep to catch fire, however. Mullen said several insurance industry experts on car fires have looked at the case, but have not been able to come up with a reasonable answer. "We're told that the fire could not have started inside the cab, with a dropped cigarette or something," Mullen said. "But we have not found anything wrong with the Jeep that may have started it." Honse said he believes someone targeted Stickle for some reason, because detectives initially suspected she may have been assaulted. Stickle was very popular at the gay and lesbian bars where she worked and devoted much of her time to raising money for several charities, including breast cancer research and AIDS support. Police and many of her friends all said they hold out hope that someone will come forward with a piece of information that can close the case. "Any help would be better than this," Walls said. "She was the center of our lives, for me, her two brothers and sisters, her stepparents. We need answers."

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