Police searching for new leads in downtown Athens cold case murder

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Athens-Clarke County police are asking for new leads in the murder of Daniel Macias. (Athens-Clarke County Police Department) 

ATHENS, Ga. - Athens police are hoping a reward will help lead to an arrest for the murder of a man found shot in downtown Athens. 

It's been almost nine years since police discovered the body of 28-year-old Daniel Macias at a downtown intersection. The person responsible for the crime has never been identified. 

What we know:

On Aug. 13, 2016, officers from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department responded to the intersection of North Jackson Street and Hancock Avenue after reports of shots fired around 2:40 a.m.  When the police arrived, they discovered Macias dead with multiple gunshot wounds. 

During the weeks and months after the incident, investigators reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance video near the area. Authorities say the shooting happened after Macias encountered the gunman in the area. 

Investigators are asking the public for help identify a man they say is a person of interest in the case who was reportedly seen before the shooting walking on Hancock Avenue in front of the courthouse parking deck. He was described as a white man wearing all black. 

What we don't know:

Investigators said they are not sure where Macias was headed at the time of the shooting. 

"He was downtown. We don't know a lot of the details of where he was coming from, where he was going," then-Chief of Police Scott Freeman told FOX in 2016.  "We feel very confident that this is not a random act like a robbery or anything like that. This is something that was very specific to these two individuals and we just have to figure out what that is."

What they're saying:

FOX 5 spoke to some of Macias's friends at a memorial set up to remember him in 2016.

"Everyone wants justice because he's such a lovable guy, no one can really say anything negative about him," said Andrew Ke, one of Macias' high school friends.

Friends said Macias worked at Agua Linda, a Mexican Restaurant in Athens, and was widely liked around the downtown area.

"This person needs to be taken off of the street," friend Erin Lahey said. "Athens is an incredible town. We bring incredible people here."

What you can do:

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for any information that leads to an arrest. Macias' family is also offering their own reward of up to $10,000 for any information that ends with a conviction.

If you have any details that could help with the case, call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (706) 705-4775.