Cody Pitts was present in an entire room. A former high school football player, the 26-year-old’s size of 6’3 “, 240 pounds, made a big impression, but it was his friendly, comfortable attitude that earned him the nickname” Gentle Giant “.
“He was just a good man,” Cody’s brother, Chad Pitts, told Dateline. ‘He was the man who would give the shirt out of his back if anyone needed it. He was always there for you. ”
After graduating from Hubbard High School, Cody entered the union where he worked in construction. Chad remembers his brother was hardworking in everything he did, but also made time for his family.
Chad, who is 13 years older than Cody, was living in West Virginia for a few hours when he received the call on March 7, 2015 that his brother had been killed.
“I was told my brother was gone … killed,” Chad said. “It did not even make sense. He was just left to die on the curb in the snow. ‘
According to Hubbard police, Cody was last seen around 7:35 on March 7, 2015. He left the Downtown Café and Patio Bar in North Main Street where he was hanging out with friends and crossed North Main Street and walked down Orchard Street. .
Chad told Dateline his brother was walking to his friend’s house when he was shot.
Less than an hour later, Cody’s body was found by a passerby along Orchard Street. According to the police, dr. Humphrey Germaniuk, who died in 2018, said Cody died of a gunshot wound to the head and neck.
According to police, the murder, which was the first in Hubbard since the 1990s, was a shock to the community with a population of about 7,500 residents. Since it was a close-knit community, Cody’s family believed an arrest would take place immediately. But the days and weeks passed without arrest.
While mourning the loss of Cody, their family received more tragic news. A month after Cody was killed, Cody and Chad’s mother, Vada Pitts, were diagnosed with cancer. Eight months later, during the week of what would be Cody’s 27th birthday, Vada lost her battle with the disease. She was only 56 years old.
“She had cancer, but she died of a broken heart,” Chad said. “My brother’s death really broke her.”
Chad told Dateline their family made a promise to his mother that they would continue to look for answers in Cody’s murder and not give up until they get justice.
“It seemed like an open and closed case,” Chad said. ‘In our minds there was no doubt about who did it. And he’s still out there. He can kill again. And it’s scary. ”
Robert Thompson, chief of Hubbard Police, and Detective Mike Banic did not want to let Dateline know if they had a person of interest in Cody’s case, but said they had interviewed hundreds of people and numerous rumors and stories from that night investigated.
Chief Thompson told Dateline that Cody’s case is not cold and that it is an open and active investigation. He emphasizes that the case is the first priority of the police.
“It’s our goal, our top priority, to resolve this issue and get closure for the family and the community,” Chief Thompson said. “We believe someone out there knows something and encourages them to come forward.”
Detective Banic, who was assigned to the case in 2018, said he was committed to it.
“Not a day goes by that I do not think about it,” Banic said. “And we will not stop until the person responsible for Cody’s murder is handcuffed.”
One thing that keeps Cody’s story going after six years is the support of the Hubbard community. At night, the porch lights glow bright green in honor of Cody. Billboards with Cody’s picture are along the highways in and out of Hubbard. And every year around March 7, his friends and family find a way to remember the one they call Gentle Giant.
For the past few years, they have held golf tournaments in memory of Cody, who was an avid golfer. This year, the events were limited due to the pandemic, but the community honored Cody in other ways, including sharing memories on the Justice 4 Cody Pitts Facebook page, which was created to spread awareness and updates on the case.
As this month marks six years since Cody was murdered, Chad repeats the promise that he made their mother in his head over and over again.
“As an older brother, I was supposed to be the protector, but could not protect myself from this,” Chad said. ‘But I can keep fighting for him. And that’s what I’m going to do. ”
Anyone with information about Cody’s case is asked to call the Crime Stoppers of Youngstown, Ohio, at 330-746-CLUE or Detective Mike Banic at 330-534-6286. The family and Crime Stoppers are offering a $ 25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.