The Minnesota Department of Public Safety announced that an anonymous donor is now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for an unsolved 1988 murder.

According to reports, On Thursday, December 2, 1988, someone entered 23-year-old Cheryl Prokop’s residence at the Vista Village Townhomes on Kansas Street in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the middle of the night and she was home with her 4-year-old daughter Katelin.

As her little girl remained hidden under her bed covers, someone strangled Cheryl Prokop to death. Her daughter would find Cheryl's body in the hallway and after using a washcloth to try to clean up blood from her mom’s face, she ultimately made her way to the apartment building’s office to get help.

The St. Paul Police Department and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) have been actively investigating the murder since it happened 35 years ago, but so far no information has led investigators to the killer or killers. The new $10,000 reward will hopefully encourage someone to come forward with information about the incident.

“We as a department never forget victims and their families who are left behind seeking answers,” said St.​ Paul Police Chief Axel Henry. “We will continue to seek those answers and are committed to providing closure for families and bringing every offender to justice.”

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The reward has put the case back into the top of the mind of the public and if a tip is received that leads to an arrest and conviction, the anonymous donor will dispense the reward in coordination with the family and law enforcement.

“We’ve waited for 35 years to understand why Cheryl was killed and who did it," her father, Dick Prokop, said. "Nothing can bring her back, but maybe this reward will help lead to some answers. If you know what happened, please report what you know.”

Anyone with information about who is responsible for Cheryl Prokop’s murder is urged to contact the BCA at 877-996-6222, via email at bca.tips@state.mn.us, or through the BCA’s See It Say It Send It tip app. Information can be provided anonymously.

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Gallery Credit: Katelyn Leboff

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