In Pursuit of a Killer

Matt Novak was just 24 years old when he was shot and killed in Philadelphia.

He was heading back to southern New Jersey with two friends following the city's Puerto Rican Day parade and related festivities.

His friend's car died at 6th and Green streets after the friend insisted Novak and the other passenger get out of his ride to settle a disagreement about a girl they had met earlier.

Novak hopped into a blue Chevrolet Impala a few minutes before 7 p.m., apparently thinking the three guys in the car he had waved down were going to take him somewhere to pick up jumper cables for his friend's broken-down yellow Dodge Neon.

They never made it to the jumper cables.

Novak was forced to exit the Impala at 13th and Fairmount Avenue, where he was shot in the hip.

Three witnesses told police it was the backseat passenger who shot Novak.

Novak, then a Mullica Hill resident, died hours later at Hahnemann University Hospital.

The date was Sept. 28, 2008.

As one would imagine, it's been an unbelievably trying two-plus years for Novak's family, including his cousin and godfather, Gloucester Township Police Det. Chuck Dougherty.

The fact that Novak's killers remain at-large makes it that much more difficult.

"There have been ups and downs emotionally," Dougherty said. "Obviously, someone killed my cousin—it's very disturbing. Of course, being a cop, that instinct kicks in and I want to do what I can to help find the guys who killed him."

None of the witnesses Philadelphia Police interviewed was able to provide a thorough description of any of the suspects, according to Dougherty, who sat down with Patch Friday to discuss the unsolved homicide case.

Fortunately, Philadelphia Police surveillance cameras caught the suspect vehicle as it twice drove past Novak and his friends—identified by Dougherty as Ernesto and Chris.

Dougherty described the car as a blue, 2006 to 2008 Chevrolet Impala. It could be either royal blue or electric blue, given the year range, he said, but the prevailing thought is it was electric blue.

Unfortunately, the surveillance cameras did not capture the car's New Jersey license-plate number.

That's a big problem, according to Dougherty, because there were titles out for 1,007 blue, 2006-2008 Impalas in New Jersey at the time Novak was murdered.

"It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack," he said.

But it's that haystack Dougherty is more than willing to continue perusing to help his aunt and uncle, Sue and Matt Sr., find those responsible for their son's death.

"We refuse to let this case go 'cold,'" he said.

But it seemingly has, as investigators have no more information today than they did in 2008.

That's through no fault of Philadelphia Police or lead investigator Det. Brian Peters, whom Dougherty said has been "thorough as hell."

A $21,000 reward has not garnered any tips.

The Novak case was posted on the America's Most Wanted website in March, through Dougherty's efforts.

Nothing.

Dougherty arranged to have the Philadelphia Police surveillance video analyzed with NFL Films' technology, hoping to be able to pull the Impala's license-plate number.

Nothing.

About two months ago, Novak's family mailed reward fliers to the homes of all 1,007 people who held New Jersey titles on blue, 2006-2008 Impalas in September 2008, Dougherty said, the thought being maybe someone had loaned out the car and would value $21,000 more than their friendships with cold-blooded killers.

Again, nothing.

With the amount of media attention given to Novak's murder in the Delaware Valley, Dougherty believes it's possible the killers are from North Jersey, where the case has not been publicized at all.

For more information on the Novak slaying and efforts to bring his killers to justice, visit the "Who Killed Matt Novak?" website. Also, take a minute to watch the attached YouTube video and reward flier found above.

If you have any information that may help bring Novak's killers to justice, call the Philadelphia Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS (6532).