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'Completely devastated': Family of teen stabbed to death while walking home in Drexel Hill shares grief

Published  April 24, 2023 10:40pm EDT
Delaware County
FOX 29 Philadelphia

'Completely devastated': Family of teen stabbed to death while walking home in Drexel Hill shares grief

The heartbroken family of a 15-year-old boy who police say was stabbed to death while walking home Friday in Drexel Hill is pleading for answers as police search for his killer.

PHILADELPHIA - Michael Peabody said he is "completely devastated" by the sudden and tragic loss of his 15-year-old nephew, who police say was stabbed to death while walking home in Drexel Hill last Friday. 

"Please continue to hold our family in your hearts and prayers as we continue to navigate through this tragedy," Peabody told FOX 29's Shawnette Wilson days after Michael Garr Jr. was killed. 

Investigators say Michael, a 10th grader at Upper Darby High School, was walking along the 200 block of Bridge Street near Brunswick Avenue around 9:30 p.m. when he was stabbed in the chest.

A passerby who spoke to FOX 29 said Michael ran up to his car holding his throat and he tried to provide first-aid until the ambulance arrived. Michael was pronounced dead at the scene. 

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"It’s tough, because I thought about it all day," he said. "I was trying to tell him, ‘You’re going to make it, stay strong.’ you know, because I really believe that he was."

No arrests were reported immediately following the deadly stabbing and the Delaware County Fraternal Order of Police has since offered a $5,000 reward leading to an arrest and conviction. 

"Please hold your loved ones very close, tell your children you love them," Peabody said. "We are completely devastated by the loss of Michael Jr."

Upper Darby mourning loss of teen fatally stabbed

The Upper Darby community is mourning the loss of a 15-year-old who died after being stabbed. FOX 29's Shaynah Ferreira has the latest on the investigation.

Investigators on Sunday shared a surveillance photo of two people who holding hands who were spotted near the scene of deadly stabbing around the time it happened. 

"We feel they can offer some information to help us put the pieces together to everything we've gathered already," Upper Darby Police Superintendent Tim Bernhardt said. "They are witnesses, not suspects, we don't belie they had anything to do other than being at that place at the moment and time when Michael's life was taken."

A GoFundMe that was established to help the family pay for funeral costs has almost doubled its goal of $20k.