It was 2019, the day before Thanksgiving. For some reason, Kivontae Love, a young father, was shot and killed outside a Tampa apartment complex. His killer(s) are still on the run. Witnesses say they saw men running from the scene, but detectives need your help to help solve this case.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
A killer on the run.
Detective Watson:
It's difficult for us to believe that no one saw anything. They're just not coming forward with the information for one reason or another.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
And a mother who is left with more questions than answers.
Shonda Robinson, mother:
It's hard to move forward when the case is still open and you have someone out there who's running free knowingly that they've killed someone.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
Shonda Robinson's son was shot and killed in Tampa two years ago. We take a look back at the murder of Kivontae Love, in hopes that you can help us solve this "Unfinished Business."
Shonda Robinson still has flowers that her son, Kivontae Love, bought her for holidays and other occasions.
Shonda Robinson, mother:
For Mother's Day or my birthday, he would always get me those fake roses that don't die. He always say, "Here, ma." He always get me that along with other stuff, but that was always something he would get me. The past October, before this happened in November, he did the same thing. He got me the fake rose and some other little gifts that he always did, but that was the one thing he would always make sure he'll get me is a rose that won't die, yes.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
The roses are a gift that keeps on giving. It's a daily reminder that even though Kivontae is no longer alive, his presence is still very much felt.
For almost two years, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office detectives have been trying to piece together what happened when he was shot and killed outside a Tampa apartment complex.
Tony Watson, of HCSO's Criminal Investigations Division, is the lead detective on the case.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
What information do we have on the case of the homicide of Kivontae Love?
Detective Watson:
Well, we know that this incident occurred on November the 27th, 2019. It was somewhere around 5:00 PM. This is the day before Thanksgiving. A lot of people are off from work. It occurred in an apartment complex up in our District One area, specifically the Bella Mar Apartments. This is an apartment complex that has a lot of foot traffic. People are off. People are walking around. So we feel that there should be some witnesses out here that may have seen stuff. They just haven't came forward yet.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
What do we know about what happened to him that day?
Detective Watson:
Well, Kivontae is a young man. He's in his early 20s. He's the father of a small child and he had the day off work. He was just hanging out in the apartment complex, like a typical young man would do. And the witnesses that do we did have come forward stated that they heard four to five gunshots and that they saw a couple of males running away from the scene.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
And that's sort of where things stand right now. What other evidence is there in this case that could hopefully bring some answers to Kivontae's family?
Detective Watson:
Well, our witnesses are telling us that the males that they did see running, that they were both black males. They were both wearing dark-colored hoodies. And they ran in direction of possibly a vehicle and then fled out of the apartment complex. Other than that, not a lot. We've had a lot of theories presented to us, but nothing that we've been able to prove as being factual at this point. We've chased down tons of leads, but none of them lead us to an arrest or anything at this point.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
Detectives believe someone knows something, though.
Detective Watson:
I think this one's particularly frustrating because just knowing the amount of people, even when our deputy showed up on the scene out there, there was people milling around everywhere. The amount of people in that apartment complex as I've been in and out of there before, people sit on the breezeways, they sit on their balconies. It's difficult for us to believe that no one saw anything. This is not a case from 1965 out in the woods. This is a case that just occurred a couple of years ago in a very highly populated area that somebody should've seen something. They're just not coming forward with the information for one reason or another.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
Shonda Robinson has done everything she can to assist detectives with their investigation into her son's murder.
Detective Watson:
She's grieving, just like you would expect from any parent, but this hits her particularly hard. She calls me at least once a week, she stays in contact with me via phone calls, emails, whatever it is. She's out there actively pursuing trying to find this out just as hard as we are.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
A mother's love for her son doesn't end with his death, and that's why Shonda isn't giving up looking for Kivontae's killer.
Shonda Robinson, mother:
Kivontae was always a peacemaker, so if there was something that he felt like somebody had a misunderstanding towards him, he would always go and make peace with that person so that they will both, they will be okay with each other. He was just always wanted to feel like his heart was good with everybody. And I just want people to know that Kivontae wasn't the person who is out there wanting to shoot or kill someone. I don't understand why the person or people who did this tohim would betray him to want to do that towards him. It's not like he was out toting a gun thinking someone was going to hurt him or anything.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
What do we know about a possible motive in this case?
Detective Watson:
Well, we've heard everything. We've heard that this was a possible robbery. We've heard that there was a female that was involved. Maybe it was some type of love quarrel back and forth. That there was gang ties. I mean, we've heard everything. Every theory has been produced us at this point, but we just haven't been able to lock any of them down and prove them.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
Where do we go from here?
Detective Watson:
Well, we have just recently put out another Crime Stoppers alert on this case where we have increased the amount of reward asking for information leading to the arrest of somebody in this case. We're just asking for the public, somebody who saw something. This was not that long ago, two years ago, the day before Thanksgiving. Somebody saw something. If somebody could come forward to us and just share that information and it'll be that one little piece that puts us over the top, because we're close. We have some information that we're close on. We just need somebody to step up. Do the right thing for this family.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
Doing the right thing means answers for Shonda Robinson and her family. Who did this to Kivontae and why?
Shonda Robinson, mother:
This is my son who lost his life, and just to come forward and do the right thing, to do it for themselves, and to clear their heart and their conscience. If it was them or their child or if it was their mom grieving in this situation with them, they would want someone to do the same thing.
Shonda Robinson, mother:
I forgive them, but I want them to just do the right thing and come forward and be held accountable for what they've done.
Merissa Lynn, Host:
Crimestoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for any information that leads to the identification and arrest of the suspect or suspects involved in Kivontae Love's murder.
If you have any information on this case, or any others that are being investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, please call 813-247-8200. Be sure to follow us on social media at @HCSOSheriff for any updates we have on this case in the future.