Phoenix Police Department Shared 'Hot Desert, Cold Cases: Drew James'

Press release from the City of Phoenix:

November 19, 2020

The Phoenix Police Department is bringing attention to cold case homicides in a video series called "Hot Desert, Cold Cases." The series highlights the area's homicide cases that have gone unsolved.

In addition, Silent Witness is upping the reward for information leading to the arrest and/or indictment of the suspect/s of the crime. The reward will be $5,000 for the first four cold cases.

Birdie Bitsui holds up family photos, pointing out her son, Drew James. Drew was a brother, a soon-to-be husband, a father to two little girls, with one more on the way.

But on the night of April 4, 2020, Drew was shot outside his apartment near 57th Avenue and Thomas Road. He was rushed to the hospital, but did not survive.

"As a mother, your heartache does never go away," Birdie said through tears. "It's always there. Every moment you get up, you think about him. Everything you do, you think about him. It's hard. But I know I have to go on. I have to go on for my grandkids."

Drew's fiancé, Key Meh, was seven months pregnant with their third daughter when Drew was killed. She and Drew met in school and had been together since, with plans to tie the knot in December.

Key said there is a lot she misses about her fiancé. Perhaps her fondest memories are of Drew telling stories to their girls each night, in his family's traditional Native American way.

"It feels like everything in my life is not complete any more," Key said.

Both Key and Birdie said Drew had no enemies, and cannot understand who would have wanted him dead.

Phoenix Police Cold Case Detective Kevin Ham, who was called out to the scene that night, said investigators are still asking that question, too.

"This is a senseless act," Det. Ham said. "There was no motivation that we really have determined at this point and for this to occur, this family needs justice."

Detective Ham said witnesses heard shots fired around 11:30 that April night, they saw a man get in a car, possibly driven by a woman, and saw that car speed away onto Thomas Road. Home video surveillance caught the light colored sedan drive away.

"There was one unique feature on the vehicle," Det. Ham noted. "It had a missing front driver's side hubcap."

Beyond that, Det. Ham said there are no further leads and this case has gone cold. Phoenix Police and Drew's family are asking the public for any information that could help in this investigation.

"It's especially important for us to get the word out to citizens out there," Det. Ham urged. "They often find people sometimes see things but they don't realize what they're seeing."

If you have any information regarding this case, contact Silent Witness at 480-Witness, or leave an anonymous tip on the Silent Witness website. You will remain anonymous and could earn a cash reward.

This press release was produced by the City of Phoenix. The views expressed here are the author’s own.