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Oct. 27, 2006
TV involvement gives hope
West Van couple still reliving the horror of son's murder.
KELLEY KORBIN
Almost three years after 38-year-old Marc Rozen's brutal Vancouver
murder, the police have yet to arrest a suspect in the case, but
Rozen's parents are hopeful that a segment on an American television
show will change that.
A crew from America's Most Wanted was in Vancouver recently
meeting with the Rozens and local police in preparation for an upcoming
episode that will focus on the Rozen story.
Marc Rozen was killed on Jan. 6, 2004, in his downtown apartment.
Police believe that three thieves (two males and a female), posing
as prospective buyers, murdered Rozen for an $18,000 ring he had
advertised for sale in a local newspaper for $8,500.
According to Rozen's father, Jack Rozen, it was new information
about the crime that made it feasible for America's Most Wanted
to run the story. "A year ago, they were prepared to do this
story but the police would not release certain information,"
he said. "They would not do the show until such time as they
had more detail."
Then, Rozen said, "The police became more desperate as time
went on. They thought they would catch this guy quicker. Well, they
haven't." A few months ago, Vancouver police issued an updated
composite drawing of one of the suspects in the case, as well as
information that the firearm used to kill Rozen had been linked
to an execution-style, drug-related double homicide in Abbotsford
in 2003.
"Now [the crew from America's Most Wanted] came down,"
said Jack Rozen. They interviewed the Rozens for almost four hours
and even asked for a DVD copy of a home video of Marc to use in
the segment.
Rozen is pleased that his son's case will receive international
media attention through the television series, which he hopes will
lead to an arrest of a suspect but, he added, "Of course my
irritation is that they could have caught this man – God, he
was on the 11th floor, he had no place to go."
Rozen was referring to his contention that it took police between
one and two hours to respond to at least four 911 calls placed by
people in Marc Rozen's apartment building while the murder was taking
place. He said that police have confirmed this delayed response
and declared it was due to a "mix-up." The Rozens have
launched a formal complaint against the police commission, stating,
"... they never showed ... and he [Marc] didn't live in Timbuktu,
he lived on Haro and Denman." Referring to the suspect in question,
Rozen said, "We had him, we had him. This guy was caught. He
was up there [in the apartment] and all they [the police] had to
do was just show up."
He and his wife, Doreen, are clear that they have not launched this
complaint for any financial gain, but rather "to do the right
thing in the hope that this does not happen to someone else."
Over time, the pain at the loss of their son has not diminished.
They characterized him as a great athlete and, more importantly,
an incredibly caring and compassionate man who believed in the goodness
in everybody.
When asked what it would mean to them for the police to catch their
son's killer, Doreen Rozen responded, "It won't bring Marc
back, will it? We won't have been able to achieve and remove our
loss and regain our life and regain our child. Catching this person
will be, well, if you think in terms of revenge, maybe that's what
you would get.... I am hoping these people are suffering every day
of their lives."
Jack Rozen said, "I would give my life to find this man. What
we've experienced is just a rollercoaster; it's something no one
in their lifetime should ever experience and it's probably the most
painful thing that I've experienced and you know, I'm a Holocaust
survivor ... but you know something, as time goes on, I just want
him caught and off the street because I realize I can't bring my
son back and I'm not prepared to spend the rest of my life hating.
I just want him off the street, period. I've done all the hating
in my lifetime."
He added, "I do not go to sleep without thinking of my son.
I wake up with my son. I love my son; we all love our children.
I was there for him all the time, except once."
Information about Marc Rozen's case, including the composite drawing
of the suspect, is available on America's Most Wanted's website
at www.amw.com.
Kelly Korbin is a freelance writer living in West Vancouver.
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