Merced police seek public’s help in unsolved homicides

The lead police detective on Friday acknowledged frustration with the lack of progress in the two homicide cases reported in the city since New Year’s Day.

Gary Brown, 52, was gunned down Jan. 1 in the 1300 block of West 12th Street. His death marked the third consecutive year Merced County has reported a homicide on New Year’s Day.

Dean Barker, a well-known 59-year-old taxicab driver, was shot and killed Monday in the 300 block of Mimi Lane.

No arrests have been made in either case. Police have been plagued by a lack of cooperation from the public in both cases.

Sgt. Scott Skinner, head of the Merced Police Department’s major crimes unit, expressed irritation with the lack of progress. He noted, however, that the department has committed “all our resources” to identifying suspects in both cases.

“I really do think it’s just a matter of time before we catch a break; it will be sooner rather than later,” Skinner told the Sun-Star.

Barker’s four adult sons continue to struggle to come to grips with the seemingly senseless violence that claimed their father’s life. The family has repeatedly asked anyone with any information about Dean Barker’s death to share it with investigators.

“We’re still at a loss because we just don’t know why this happened,” Barker’s son, Michael said Friday. “Please come forward and talk to police. Any information would be helpful so we can get this taken care of and start the healing process.”

Police detectives have worked furiously this week searching for suspects in Barker’s death, but without any luck. “It does appear to be random at this point,” Skinner said. “It just seems like it was a very cowardly act.”

He said physical evidence was collected at the scene and has been sent to a state laboratory for further analysis. He said commenting on specifics of the case or the timeline of events leading up to Barker’s death could harm the investigation.

“We’re still working very hard, but we haven’t received any tips from the public at all. That would be a help,” Skinner said.

Brown’s slaying also has been a major challenge for police investigators, but Skinner said he was hopeful for a break in that case in the near future.

“As has been kind of typical in these cases, early on we don’t have a lot of people cooperating, but as time passes, people are more open to talking with us,” the police sergeant said.

Skinner declined to comment on specific details of the Brown case, including a possible motive for the killing, but said it does not appear to have any gang connections.

This story was originally published January 9, 2015 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Merced police seek public’s help in unsolved homicides."