More than three years after 20-year-old Chad Hinesley was shot and killed in Chowchilla, his family has pushed a community reward fund past $28,000 in hopes of finally learning who pulled the trigger. The milestone comes even as the family says it has faced fresh cruelty in recent weeks, including a vandalized memorial and anonymous hate mail.
According to KMPH Fox 26, the Chowchilla community has raised more than $28,000 toward a reward for information about the person responsible for Hinesley's killing. His mother, Jamie Hinesley, said her family spends weekends raising money and spreading awareness to generate leads and keep attention on the case. She said Chad was lured out of the house and shot and murdered, and that she rushed to the hospital immediately, but he had already died before she arrived.
Hinesley was fatally shot in Chowchilla on April 30, 2023, at about 11 p.m., according to GV Wire. Accounts of what happened immediately afterward differ: one ABC30 report said officers found a man lying in the roadway who had been shot once and died at the scene, while a later ABC30 report said investigators determined he had been shot and later died at the hospital. The discrepancy between those two accounts has not been resolved.
A Family That Refuses to Let the Case Go Cold
Jamie Hinesley said her detective described the investigation as open and ongoing, with investigators working closely on incoming leads, the KMPH report notes. She said she will continue seeking justice and believes Chad will get it. The family has organized and participated in flyer distribution, raffles, community events and car washes to grow the reward fund, and Jamie Hinesley said those efforts are about raising awareness of crime, keeping her son's story alive and pursuing justice.
Jamie Hinesley said her detective described the homicide investigation as open and ongoing, per the same KMPH report. The department has worked with the California Department of Justice for forensic assistance and additional investigative support. The department did not provide a statement or update on the current status of the case. Chowchilla police have previously said they had solved approximately 80% of the city's homicide cases over the past 20 years.
A separate KMPH report had listed a $10,315 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case, though it is unclear when that figure applied or how directly it ties to the more-than-$28,000 total now reported.
Hate Mail and a Vandalized Memorial
Even as the reward fund has grown, the family says it has also faced new hostility. Jamie Hinesley said Chad's memorial was vandalized last month, and she said she received anonymous hate mail around the same time. She has continued to urge anyone with information to come forward, noting that tips can be submitted anonymously.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Valley Crime Stoppers. The organization says tips submitted through its listed procedures are completely anonymous and that California law protects tipsters' identities, and that only such tips which help lead to an arrest are eligible for a cash reward, according to Valley Crime Stoppers. People with information can also contact the Chowchilla Police Department at (559) 665-8600 and ask for Sgt. J. Cobb, or email [email protected], per GV Wire. The Hinesley family also accepts donations through Facebook and Valley Crime Stoppers.
Upcoming Fundraiser
The family has scheduled a car wash fundraiser for the weekend of November 21 at Bravo Smog, which is providing its location for the event. It is the latest in a string of grassroots efforts, from flyers to raffles, that the Hinesleys have leaned on to keep the reward fund climbing and Chad's case in public view.
