Nearly four decades after a 33-year-old mother of two was gunned down in North Bay Village, one of her sons is renewing his plea for the public’s help in solving the long-cold case.
J.M., Connie Brewer Adams’ 52-year-old son who asked only to be identified by his initials, told CBS News Miami that the pain remains raw more than 38 years after her death.
Juan Segovia, the lead detective with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, is also sharing a possible lead that could help bring closure.
Son describes a “kind,” “free spirit” who moved to South Florida for a better life
J.M., who now lives in Tampa, said he was 14 and his brother was 8 when their mother was killed.
He said Adams had moved to South Florida from Bridgeport, Connecticut two years earlier because she “wanted a better life.”
“She was a really kind lady. She was a free spirit. She lit up a a room and she had tons of friends who loved her. She was an easy going lady and she was fierce advocate for her family and the people around her,” he said.
“This was tough,” he added. “We were just getting in to a groove as older children. So when she died, we were at a point where we were going to connect with her. It still hurts. I do wonder why someone would have done this to her. I don’t have any answers.”
J.M. believes someone who knew his mother in Miami may hold information that could finally bring justice.
“The thing I am thinking is that someone in her circle here in Miami may know what happened to her and they just haven’t come forward to share that. I think she deserves justice more than anything and we will heal when that happens,” he said.
“I would hope that anybody who has been kind of living with this and knows something, now is the time to come forward because we are running out of time. I think there are two sons who must have closure and we want to know that the person or persons who did this will be brought to justice,” J.M. said.
Detective outlines timeline, witnesses and one possible lead
Segovia said Adams was shot around 11 p.m. on April 2, 1987, while walking home to her apartment on East Treasure Drive after finishing a night shift at a restaurant on the 79th St. Causeway. Witnesses heard the single gunshot and tried to help her. She was rushed to the hospital but pronounced dead.
Segovia said no DNA evidence was found at the scene, and there has never been a person of interest. Adams was not robbed.
“Nobody heard an argument. Nobody heard any voices. They just heard a loud pop. There is no report of a dispute or struggles which has always baffled us,” he said.
“This was a lady who loved everybody and was a free spirit, a very loving kind person. She wasn’t a person who lived the sort of lifestyle that would lead to this. It would mean the world to us to solve this case,” Segovia added.
“It’s a responsibility that we don’t take lightly. It’s a responsibility that we live with. I would want nothing more for myself and my partner to be able to give them some closure and justice,” the detective said.
Segovia said that after all these years, their hope is that someone will remember something: “Maybe somebody will have seen this story and say I remember that night. I remember this and that may be the little piece of a link that we need to solve this case.”
He also noted one possible lead: before her death, Adams was seen speaking with someone in a light-colored, 1980s-model Volkswagen similar to one he showed in a photo.
“The car slowed down and it appears she approached the vehicle and it appears she had a conversation with a person in the vehicle,” Segovia said.
Anyone with information is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477). There is a reward of up to $5,000.
