Police continue search for suspect in murder of 12-year-old Atlanta boy

ATLANTA - Atlanta police are continuing their search for a suspect in the death of a 12-year-old boy murdered while going to play with his friends.

It's been nearly a year and a half since the body of David Mack was found in a drainage ditch near his grandmother's house. Mack's killer remains free.  

Thursday, investigators said they continue to follow up on leads, but made a plea to the community for new tips in the case no matter how small.

"Investigators strongly believe with the public's help we can bring this case to a close and bring the person or persons involved in his death to justice," said Atlanta Police Major Carlo Peek.  "Regardless of how minute you think that information you have related to David Mack, it may just be what we need to break this case, to find a motive and bring someone to justice."  

Loved ones said on Feb. 9, 2021 Mack left his grandmother's home in southwest Atlanta to go play football with friends, but he never returned home.

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David Mack (Courtesy of the family)

"He said, 'I love you' and I said, 'I love you too.' That was the last time I talked to him," his grandmother Glenda Mack told FOX 5.

Family members found his body in a drainage ditch behind a vacant house on Shirley Street, less than a mile from his grandmother's home.

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"Those images are gonna be etched in my mind forever," his father Darius Mack explained. "I turned him over. I checked him. I took it all in. I allowed myself to. I made sure I did that."

According to the autopsy report the family received, Mack was shot six times and had severe injuries, a sign that he may have been beaten.

"It would mean the world to me just for someone to come forward and say, 'this is what happened.'  This is what they saw," said Ayana Riley, Mack's aunt.  

Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest and conviction of a suspect. 

If you have information about the case, you can submit tips anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477).