MAPLEWOOD, Minn. — It's been nearly two months since 56-year-old Mark Koepke was hit by a car and killed while walking near his home in Maplewood. Still without answers as to who was responsible for Mark's death, his family is now fundraising to increase the reward for information leading to an arrest.
Crime Stoppers MN is offering a $1,000 reward, which is being matched by the family. The Vulcan Communities Charities matched that amount to bring the total to $4,000.
Darice Koepke, Mark Koepke's ex-wife and close friend, said the family hopes to raise another $6,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to bring the reward total to $10,000.
"I truly believe in my heart that someone knows who did this, and it's eating away at them. Maybe they were distracted and thought it was a deer or something. Maybe they were drunk and are still trying to figure out how their car got damaged," Darice said in a message on the fundraising page. "Maybe you have seen a car that matches the description and has damage that looks like it hit something. Maybe you work for a glass repair shop and remember replacing a windshield on a vehicle that matches the description."
“Accident or not, the person responsible should be held accountable, we just want closure; that’s what we want right now," said Mark's son Logan said in December. "He was an amazing man, full of life and happiness."
On Dec. 9, 2022, Mark was out for a walk when he was struck and killed by a vehicle on northbound McKnight Road near Margaret Street. Police said they believe the vehicle involved was a 2011 to 2022 dark blue Dodge Caravan with front-end damage.
Anyone with information on the case should contact Lt. Joe Steiner at 651-249-2608 or JoeSteiner@maplewoodmn.gov.
According to Koepke's family, any money raised that isn't used for the reward will be donated to CrimeStoppers.
Any funds raised that do not get rewarded will be donated to Crimestoppers of Minnesota.
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