Exactly 25 years after four family members were murdered at a Miramar home in what police have called one of the "most heinous crimes" in the city's history, family members and detectives are coming together for a memorial service.
Theresa Laverne, her daughter, Marie Altidore, and Marie's daughters, 6-week-old Sabrina and 2-year-old Samantha were found murdered in a home in the 8800 block of S. Crescent Drive on April 30, 1997.
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Laverne, 68, had traveled to South Florida from Haiti to help her 29-year-old daughter with the newborn.
Laverne and Altidore had been fatally shot, and the two little girls were beaten to death.
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Detectives believe it was a crime of passion, fueled with rage. They said the murderer tried to stage a home invasion, but there were no signs of forced entry and no valuables were stolen.
A message was found on the home's wall that read, "I want my $100,000 drug money. They stole my drugs." Detectives believe that was just an unsophisticated attempt to cover up the true motive.
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No arrests have been made in the murders. Police previously said George Altidor, Marie's husband and the father of the girls, was their only suspect, but he was never arrested or charged.
On Saturday night, family members and detectives attended a memorial service at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, the same church the Altidor family attended.
Relatives said the pain still feels fresh even after all these years.
"That was my mother, my sister, and my two nieces," Alain Laverne said. "When it comes to these kind of things, time doesn’t matter cause it’s your loved ones and to take the lives of innocent people just like that, it’s not easy."
The family also walked near the home where the murders occurred, and held a candlelight vigil and prayer for justice.
"The family is not giving up. The police department is not giving up even though it was 25 years ago," Det. Danny Smith said.
