PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — Seven years ago, a Paulding County man was murdered while he was asleep. Tonight, the case remains unsolved.
But his family and authorities have not lost hope in finding Cody Bryant's killer.
In fact, back when the crime occurred on Feb. 10, 2014, his mother Beverly Collum said she would never stop telling this story until Cody's killer was found.
"I see his face smiling at me," Collum said. "It puts this lump in my throat. There's not a day I don't think about him. I tear up every day."
This is one of four cold case homicides the Paulding County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate.
According to police, Cody was staying at his father's house on Ivey Gulledge Road in Dallas back in 2014 when someone broke in and shot him in the head while he was asleep.
"We've had leads over the course of seven years but, at this point, nothing has been substantial enough to secure an arrest," said Paulding County Sergeant Ashley Henson.
Today, the suspect is still on the loose and his mother is still holding on to hope.
"Some days are better than others but a mothers' love never dies," said Collum. "It's the same. I don't want this story to be forgotten. I don't want my son to be forgotten."
Bryant was 20 at the time of his death. His mother described him as a sweet person with a good heart. He also leaves behind a sister who is now 30 years old.
"They didn't take away just Cody's life," she said. "They took a piece of my life, my daughter's life, and the family's life. A piece of their heart."
Sergeant Henson hopes the continuous media coverage through the years will one day bring forward a credible lead.
"We're hoping that whether it's their conscience or something gets to them, they come forward with that information because we feel confident that somebody knows," he said.
While police hope to one day find the missing piece to this puzzle, Collum hopes to find the missing piece towards the next step to healing.
"I just want answers," she said. "There's no closure. You can't forget about something like that. I can go from scratch and tell you from day one until now everything that's happened in seven years. That's something you don't forget."
The Paulding County Sheriff's Office has a $2,000 Crime Stoppers reward for anybody who has information leading up to an arrest. You can call Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS (8477).
