Family hopes to solve murder with MySpace page, award money

The "Who Killed Matt Novak?" MySpace page has more than 10,000 "friends," but has yielded few clues about the identity of Novak's killers.

Two years after the 24-year-old Mullica Hill man was shot in the Spring Garden section of Philadelphia, police and family members continue to pursue tips. A picnic is scheduled for Saturday to raise reward money.

"Any waking moment that I have outside of keeping the rest of my family going . . . we're concentrating everything we have on that," said Novak's father, also Matthew. "I need people out there looking for that blue Impala."

On Sept. 28, 2008, in search of jumper cables to start a friend's car, Novak climbed into a Chevrolet Impala at Sixth and Green Streets believed to have contained three men. His wounded body was later discovered several blocks away, near 13th Street and Fairmount Avenue. Novak died a few hours later at Hahnemann University Hospital.

"If someone gets in a car accident, it's still devastating, but you can still make sense of it," said Novak's father, also of Mullica Hill. "Something like this, when it's at the hand of another human being . . . you just can't make sense of it."

Novak's killers did not rob him, and family members know of no one who wanted to hurt him. He was "a real mellow guy, unassuming, not boisterous," his father said.

At Novak's funeral, people told "one story after another about how he helped people," his father said. They were "little, simple things that he did over and over for people. I never knew about that."

The Lenape Regional High School graduate had been living at home and helping his father with his construction business. "We just became really close," his father said. "We're very much alike."

The younger Novak's cousin, Gloucester Township Police Detective Chuck Dougherty, is coordinating the online search for his killer.

"I sat there every day for hours - sometimes when I was working, and most of the time when I was off - and I would just send [MySpace and Facebook] friend requests to everyone in the Philadelphia and New Jersey area," said Dougherty, who often works homicide cases.

His goal, said Novak's father, was to recruit anyone who might be familiar with the perpetrators to join the "Who Killed Matt Novak?" MySpace page.

"It's very different when it's close to home," Dougherty said. "It's very tough . . . to watch my uncle and my aunt suffer, not knowing who killed their son."

The family has posted a $6,000 reward for any tip that leads to the killer's conviction. They hope the fund-raiser will bring that figure to at least $15,000. Saturday's event will be at Tall Pines Picnics and Retreats in Williamstown.

"They feel that maybe with that additional money put in . . . that could be the answer, and I kind of agree with them," said John Apeldorn, president of the Citizens' Crime Commission of the Delaware Valley.

Apeldorn, who was captain of the Philadelphia homicide unit about 20 years ago, said it is common for families to post rewards for unsolved homicide cases. He said he remains optimistic about Novak's case.

"After time goes by, relationships disintegrate; they may have a girlfriend they told, a family member wants to turn them in, an individual knows what happened and may want the reward money and makes the call," he said.

"There have been many cases solved where they had nothing, and as a result of the tip line, they solved the case," said Apeldorn, who is expected to speak during Saturday's event, at 2 p.m.

Video cameras captured Novak climbing into the car, but did not provide a clear image of the license plate.

"To watch that video, particularly at the very beginning, there were a lot of sleepless nights," said the elder Novak.

After two years of searching and thousands of dollars spent to try to digitally enhance pictures of the license plate, Novak and his family are no closer to finding his son's killer.

"I cannot wait for the day in court when I'm looking at these guys," said Novak. "I already have my statement written out."

He "saw big things" for his son, Novak said. He taught him how to cook, and his son attended culinary school for a time. He also was a welder, and his father said he dreamed of his son taking over his construction business. Novak has since sold the company. Since the killing, he said, he has lost his "zest" for the business.

"He was my best friend," his father said. "He was my namesake. . . . I just loved him to death. I guess I shouldn't say that, but yeah, I loved him to death."

Tickets to the picnic - open from 1 to 6 p.m. - are $30 for adults, $20 for youths 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and younger. Food, drinks, music, swimming, and games are included. For information, call 609-820-8400 or e-mail whokilledmattnovak@gmail.com.