Valerie Hewitt
November 1995
Ft. Pierce, Florida

TC Palm
(Ft. Pierce, Florida)
July 16, 2007

DNA evidence may revive 12-year-old murder case

By WILL GREENLEE

FORT PIERCE - There's been no justice for 
Valerie Hewitt in almost 12 years.

But with advances in DNA analysis, St. Lucie 
County Sheriff's Detective Scott Young hopes 
that will change.

Hewitt, 48, a cab driver, was found on a Friday 
night in November 1995 behind the wheel of her 
taxi with a gunshot wound to the head. The 
native of Washington, D.C., had crashed her 
Chevrolet into a brick pillar at the entrance of 
Fort Pierce Westwood High School.

"We believe that at the time of the homicide, 
the vehicle was in motion," Young said last 
week. "We believe that a robbery was the motive 
for the crime, and we believe at this juncture 
that there may have been more than one person 
involved."

Young suspects a customer in the rear of her cab 
shot her and that at least one other person was 
there at the time.

"Back in 1995, advances in DNA extraction 
methods were ... restrictive," he said. "In 
2007, DNA technology has advanced considerably 
and as a result of that we have resubmitted 
several key pieces of evidence recovered at that 
crime scene."

The DNA, he said, is coming from several items, 
including cash dropped at the scene, Hewitt's 
clothing, her car and her body.

Young said he's confident the evidence will 
yield enough DNA to generate a sample that can 
be matched with that of potential suspects.

Hewitt is the adopted daughter of Everett 
Hewitt, 80, of Ocala. Everett married Valerie's 
mother, Joan, in 1950, and she died in 2001.

"She accepted it. I know it bothered her 
though," he said. "She certainly would have 
liked to have known what caused it and who 
caused it."

Everett Hewitt said he was pleased to learn the 
case is being re-opened, but said he's "sorry 
that my first wife wasn't still living to enjoy 
it."

Young believes after the shooting, at least two 
people fled on foot, noting witnesses reported 
seeing "potential suspects fleeing the area."

"We have some reason to believe that at the time 
of this homicide some of the people who had 
knowledge of this may have been juveniles," 
Young said. "Juveniles talk, and although they 
keep a lot of stuff from their parents, parents 
still hear things.

"Perhaps they were afraid of the perpetrators or 
knew the perpetrators," Young continued. 
"Hopefully the people involved in this are no 
longer felt as a threat to those individuals and 
that they'll come forward."

Valerie's half-brother, Herbert Hewitt, 53, said 
Valerie was born in Washington, D.C., and lived 
in Maryland for several years before moving to 
Florida.

He said Valerie, who enjoyed fishing and dogs, 
worked at a variety of professions before 
becoming a cab driver.

"My mother would certainly have enjoyed knowing 
that it was being re-opened because she ... 
really never recovered from it," he said.

The owner of the Flamingo Cab operation, Hewitt 
last was seen driving northbound on South 13th 
Street from Virginia Avenue less than an hour 
before the slaying. Another cab driver said he 
spoke with her on her cell phone, and she 
indicated she had a fare and would call him back 
after she made her drop.

Hewitt never made that call.

Valerie's homicide is one of about three dozen 
that remain open at the Sheriff's Office. So-
called cold case homicides are divided up 
between that agency's detectives.

Assistant State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl said 
there is no cold case homicide unit at his 
office.

"Generally speaking, the primary investigative 
responsibility lies with the individual 
agencies," he said. "We just generally lend 
assistance and assign investigators on a case-
by-case basis."

Anyone with information on the case is asked to 
call Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at (800) 273-
TIPS, or Young at (772) 201-1523.

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