A college student is shot and killed in the parking lot of her apartment complex In the summer of 1994, Renee Welka, a 22-year-old marketing student at Eastern Michigan University, was working as a waitress at a Mountain Jack's restaurant in Ann Arbor to pay for her education. Described as a vibrant individual who could light up a room, she was looking forward to her senior year of college.
On the night of Friday, July 29, 1994, after finishing her shift, Renee went out with a friend. At approximately 2:00 a.m.
on July 30th, they returned to her apartment at the Glencoe Hills Apartment Complex. As she was parking her white Ford Escort, a man approached the driver's side and fired a single shot from a small-caliber handgun through the rear window. The bullet struck Renee in the back. Reacting instinctively, she pressed the gas pedal in an attempt to escape, but lost consciousness after driving about 300 yards within the parking lot. Her friend, who was in the passenger seat, was unharmed. Renee was rushed to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, where she died from her injuries at approximately 3:10 a.m.
In the immediate aftermath, as a crowd gathered at the scene, Renee's friend identified a bystander, 18-year-old Clarence D. Powell, as the shooter. Powell, who also lived in the same apartment complex but did not know Welka, was arrested at the scene. He was subsequently charged with murder. However, the charge was later dropped due to a lack of evidence. Police statements indicated they were waiting on ballistics tests and that gunshot residue had been found on Powell's hands. Despite this, years later, law enforcement had not confirmed the results of these tests and stated they were no further along in the investigation than they were at the beginning, though Powell was still considered the main suspect.
The murder of Renee Welka officially remains unsolved. Over the years, her family has continued to seek justice. Six years after her death, they offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to a conviction. Investigators have periodically reviewed the case, and in 2004, it was stated that new information was being developed, though no significant breaks have been publicly announced. The motive for the shooting remains unclear, with theories ranging from a carjacking or robbery attempt to a case of mistaken identity. The weapon used in the shooting has never been recovered.
