VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Velma Peregory was a church-going, Bible reading grandmother.
"I always said that my mother was such a loving person," her son Randy Peregory said.
In February 1987, someone killed the 57-year-old at the Rose Hall apartments, where she lived alone. Now, 30 years later her murder remains unsolved.
"We're still praying," said Randy. "We do pray that we'll have an answer before we go on."
Randy remembers getting a call, telling him something happened to his mom. He quickly raced to her apartment. "I ran up to the apartment building, and my aunt came out and just fell to the floor," he said. "That's the moment it all changed."
A family friend found his mom lying face down in her living room. There was no sign of forced entry and neighbors did not hear any gunshots.
Randy says his mom was shot in the head twice. "That's when it fell like hell was unleashed," he said, thinking back to the time.
Police at first believed Velma may have let her killer into her apartment and they started questioning Randy. "I could tell I was being followed," he said. "I was being watched."
He even took a polygraph twice. The first time came back inconclusive, he says. The second time he passed. "I didn't kill my mother. My family knows that," he said.
Velma was getting ready to move at the time, he says.
Overtime, he's developed several theories, but still doesn't have any answers about what happened. "We've tried to figure out who, why, when, and still no answers," he said. "I just hope they solve it. I don't know who could've done it."
Randy keeps his mom's picture by his side at night. A picture of them together is one of the last things he sees. Sometimes, he says he falls asleep with his hands praying.
Decades later, he's hoping telling her story again will encourage someone to call police with a tip.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Line 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
