LAWRENCE, Ind. — Tuesday marks eight years since a shooting at a Lawrence convenience store that ultimately claimed the life of 19-year-old Kyle Jobin.
While no arrests have been made, both family and police have never given up their fight for justice in Kyle’s case.
“I don’t think there’s any way I could give up. He’s still my son. I have to try everything I can. If I gave up, I’d be giving up on my son and I’ll never do that,” said Kyle’s father, Joe Jobin.
“This is one of those cases that really sticks with you, even after eight years,” said Gary Woodruff, Deputy Chief of the Lawrence Police Department.
Kyle was home on holiday break from Vincennes University, where he was studying in hopes of pursuing a career in land survey management.
It was in the early morning hours on January 4, 2014, after Kyle had been playing video games with friends ahead of a pending blizzard, when he quickly stopped at a Marathon gas station on 56th Street near I-465 to buy something inside.
As Kyle walked back out to his car, police believe he was confronted by four males that arrived in a white Ford Expedition SUV. Police said a witness described the suspects as wearing dark clothes and hoodies.
“It appears they may have attempted to rob him. They surrounded his vehicle, and they were kind of shaking the vehicle a little bit. At one point, one shot was fired, struck Kyle and unfortunately he did not survive that injury,” said Woodruff.
The witness didn’t have a cell phone and went to another nearby convenience store to get help. Police said when officers arrived on scene, it was too late. Kyle had already been shot and the individuals allegedly involved, were gone.
“None of those events were captured on video. Where he parked at was the one spot in the parking lot where there was no video and the four individuals fled from the area,” said Woodruff.
Investigators believe one item, Kyle’s cell phone, was stolen during the incident. It has never been recovered.
“His wallet was actually out like he was showing the people, hey I don’t have any money to give you,” said Woodruff. “We’re assuming robbery was the motive.”
Kyle died from his injuries one day after the shooting and his family is still left wondering why this happened.
Lawrence Police say they’ve exhausted all leads and they, along with the family, hope that someone will come forward and do the right thing to get justice for Kyle.
“Somebody out there knows something. They have information to share. There were four individuals that were involved with this matter and that’s four times the opportunity that somebody’s willing to talk,” said Woodruff. “They’ve told somebody what’s happening. I can’t help but think their conscience is still bothering them and we need somebody to make that call to Crime Stoppers.”
Jobin said, “You go through each day trying to focus on the positives, but you always hope that one day somebody will come out, someday you’ll get that phone call and they’ll say, ‘hey we found them.'”
While Jobin said having those answers won’t bring his son back, it would help give them peace of mind in knowing what happened and why.
“I definitely don’t want people like them out on the streets doing something like this to another family. I don’t want anybody else to be in a situation that I am,” said Jobin.
Jobin said his family will never give up their push for answers on what happened to Kyle.
“We could sit back every single day and just forget about it and make yourself into a state of numbness and it’s just something that’s not in my DNA, so that’s why I’ve tried to do some things throughout the years to help keep the case alive and help talk to people and even heal other people,” said Jobin.
In addition to taking part in motorcycle rides for awareness, Jobin volunteers with the Season of Justice, a nonprofit providing funding to law enforcement agencies and families to help solve cold cases, and his family has also launched a scholarship fund in Kyle’s name.
“I know I can’t go out there and hit the streets every night and go try to find the guys myself. I can only do what I can do, and these are just a few ways that I’ve done it throughout the years,” said Jobin.
He remembers his son as someone who loved playing video games, loved nature, and being in the outdoors. Jobin believes that’s what may have influenced Kyle’s goal of becoming a land surveyor.
“I can’t help it, if I drive by I see a land surveyor out there and I say, hey that’s what Kyle could have been doing,” said Jobin. “He had a goal, he had something that he was driving towards and man to see him do it and go towards it and was just about there was absolutely amazing.”
Right now, Kyle would be 27. To his family, he’ll forever be a 19-year-old college kid who loved to hang with his friends and jam out to rock music. His dad remembers him as an ‘old soul’ and can’t help but smile when he thinks about the impact Kyle left behind.
“He made you smile. I mean really easygoing, just always had a smile on his face. Whenever he was there with you, it just seemed a little bit better,” said Jobin.
Police and Kyle’s family hope anyone with information will find it in their hearts to come forward and let authorities know what happened. They say no tip is too small and any one piece of information could be what it takes to help find Kyle’s killer after eight long years.
“This family has earned the resolution of identifying who is responsible for Kyle’s death and holding them accountable,” said Woodruff. “Put yourself in the position of this family. Make that call.”
“Sometimes I can’t even explain why it’s so important, but it is. It’s just one of those things that will nest over our family forever and we just wonder, and we want to know,” said Jobin. “We just hope that they could have that empathy to understand that and maybe eight years later something has changed in their lives. Maybe they’ve had a son or a daughter and imagine waking up that next morning and they’re not there and you don’t have the story why or why it was done or just don’t understand.”
“Try your best to put the shoe on the other foot,” said Jobin.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-TIPS (8477). You can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.
