In the winter of 1993, the community of Collingdale, Pennsylvania, was shaken by the violent and untimely death of one of its own. Fred Winner, a 61-year-old White/Caucasian male, was a familiar and respected figure in the borough. For over two decades, he had been the proprietor of a variety store on MacDade Boulevard, a business he opened in 1967. Beyond selling everyday goods, Winner also operated a check-cashing service, a convenience that many in the neighborhood relied upon.
His daily routine was a testament to his dedication, a rhythm of service that had become a predictable part of the local landscape.
On the morning of February 18, 1993, this familiar routine took a tragic turn. Winner had just returned from a local bank, carrying with him $10,000 in cash to stock his check-cashing business for the day. As he got out of his car in the alley behind his store, he was ambushed by an armed individual. The assailant, in a brutal act of violence, shot Winner at point-blank range before making off with the money. The quiet alleyway was soon disturbed by the discovery of Winner, found lying in a pool of his own blood by a neighboring tavern owner.
The brazen daytime robbery and murder sent shockwaves through Collingdale. Investigators believe the perpetrator may have been familiar with Winner's daily schedule, possibly lying in wait for the opportune moment to strike. An employee who was inside the store at the time of the incident recalled a sense of commotion before running to the scene to find her boss unresponsive. Despite the passage of decades, the case remains an open and haunting chapter in the town's history. No arrests have ever been made in connection with Fred Winner's murder, and the case has grown cold.
The only lead ever made public was a description of a suspect seen in the area at the time of the killing: a man dressed in a grey suit, who was reportedly driving a Lincoln Mark VII or a Lincoln Continental. This scant description has not been enough to bring about a resolution, leaving Winner's family and the community with unanswered questions and a sense of unresolved grief. His daughter has expressed her enduring hope that someone with information will one day come forward to bring her father's killer to justice, finally closing a painful and lingering wound.
