Nearly five years after Randal Barber was shot and killed outside a Milwaukee home, his family is still searching for answers and expressing frustration with Milwaukee police communication.
The 61-year-old was shot once in the chest on Nov. 18, 2020, while visiting family on Milwaukee’s north side near 57th and Fairmount. His daughter believes it was an attempted robbery, but with no witnesses, video evidence, or suspects, the case remains unsolved.
“A great person, a great father, a great uncle, a great everything to the family that will be missed,” said Keisha Barber, Randal’s daughter.
Keisha says the pain has only deepened with time, not just because the killer hasn’t been caught, but because she feels ignored by the Milwaukee Police.
“It’s hard, it’s hard all the time,” said Barber. “It never gets easy ’cause we miss him.”
Watch: Family of Milwaukee homicide victim pleads for answers nearly 5 years after his death
The family’s frustration with law enforcement communication has now turned into activism. They’ve filed a citizen complaint with the Milwaukee Police Department expressing concerns about the lack of updates on the case.
“It’s very frustrating. If we could just have an open line of communication, that would be great, but just no line of communication? It’s heartbreaking. Nobody should have to live life wondering what really happened, especially in a tragic situation,” said Barber.
According to MPD, the case remains open, and they continue to seek unknown suspects. But for families like the Barbers, open doesn’t mean active.
“It’s either vacation or they’re not available, or leave a message. Our family feels forgotten about,” said Barber.
Randal Barber mattered to his four children, his friends, and the grandchildren he never met. His family continues to hope someone will come forward with information.
“’Til this day, they have no suspect, and it’s kinda hard to get information back. I understand they have a lot going on, but we don’t want to be forgotten about,” said Barber.
The family urges anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers, where tips can be submitted anonymously. If you know who killed him or have any information that could help solve this case, call Milwaukee Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS.
“Do the right thing, come forward with any information you do have,” said Barber.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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