In the spring of 2015, a sense of unease prompted Mathew Douglas Straub to call his mother. On the morning of April 23rd, the 39-year-old man told her there were two men he didn't recognize outside his home on Fenton Street in Lansing, Michigan. That phone call, made at 9:38 a.m., would be the last conversation he ever had with her. Just twenty-two minutes later, his mother arrived at his residence to a kicked-in front door. When her calls for her son went unanswered, she dialed 911.
Shortly after 11 a.m., Lansing Police Department officers discovered Mathew's body on his kitchen floor; he had been fatally shot.
Investigators quickly determined that Mathew's death was a homicide and that the incident was not a random act of violence. The prevailing theory centered around a targeted robbery. Authorities learned that Mathew was legally growing marijuana in his home, which they believe made him a target for the assailants. Despite this lead, the investigation proved to be challenging. Detectives interviewed numerous witnesses and followed up on various tips, but struggled to gather enough substantial information to identify the men responsible for his death.
In the years that have followed, the case of Mathew Douglas Straub's murder has grown cold. Described by his family as their backbone and the glue that held them together, his absence has left a profound void. His sons are growing up without their father, and his wife, mother, and siblings continue to grieve their immense loss. The Lansing Police Department's Cold Case Unit continues to seek information from the public, and a reward is offered for any tips that lead to an arrest and conviction. To this day, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified, leaving his loved ones still waiting for justice.
