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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Murder Tipper Claims|He’s Owed $250,000

ST. LOUIS (CN) - A businessman welshed on his offer of a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of his son's murderer, a John Doe informant claims in court.

Doe sued Seymour Raiffie and his business, Dynamic Vending, in City Court.

Raiffie's son, Mark, was killed on Dynamic Vending's property in 1999.

Doe claims he responded to Raiffie's May 8, 2008 offer in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of a $250,000 reward. Doe claims the reward also was announced by two St. Louis-area television stations on May 23 that year.

"Because said unilateral offer was made by defendant Raiffie as previously indicated, plaintiff was induced and had the capacity to accept, and in fact did accept said offer by providing crucial information to the proper authorities which broke open this cold case and led to the arrest and eventual conviction of William McNeil for the murder of defendant's son, Mark Raiffie," the complaint states.

On Nov. 4 this year, McNeil pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action, first-degree assault and first-degree robbery, Doe says in the complaint. McNeil was sentenced to 20 years in state prison, according to the lawsuit and to Missouri media reports.

But Raiffie refuses to pay him the $250,000 reward, Doe says, though he provided the information at risk of his own life.

"By providing said information, plaintiff has received death threats and is subject to further prejudice, harassments, emotional distress, threats, physical harm, bodily injury or even death as retaliation for his acceptance of defendant's reward offer," Doe says in the complaint.

Doe wants the $250,000, with interest.

He is represented by Timothy J. Smith, with Rudman & Smith.

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