Reward increased in unsolved slaying of Pennsylvania lawyer
Nearly five years ago, attorney Eric Birnbaum was shot to death at point-blank range in the back of the head as he was walking from his car across the parking lot of his suburban Philadelphia law office toward work one morning, talking with a co-worker.
No one could imagine what had motivated the slaying of the 51-year-old personal injury lawyer, who was known for being friendly, generous and easy to get along with. The masked man who shot him to death reportedly didn’t say a word to him, and the contract-style slaying sparked speculation that it could have been a case of mistaken identity. The crime is still unsolved, and the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible has been raised to $20,500, WPVI reports.
Previously, the Terry D. Goldberg law firm, at which Birnbaum was a partner, offered a $10,000 reward, according to an earlier WPVI article. The law firm was located in Northampton Township, in Bucks County.
Goldberg has since joined another firm, partly to get away from his memories of Birnbaum. The two had been friends since they were teenagers, and went to college and law school together.
Witnesses told detectives they saw a man wearing a ski mask and sunglasses and a 1999 Plymouth Voyager van painted blue leaving the parking lot at a high rate of speed before blending into rush-hour traffic, according to John Apeldorn of the Citizens Crime Commision, which is administering the reward.
“We’re hoping today that we jar somebody’s mind and they come forward with the information and we can solve the crime,” he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call call 215-546-8477. All calls are anonymous.
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Longtime Friend of Slain Pa. Lawyer Mourns—and Seeks Justice”
