The family of Howard Edley says the 70-year-old man was in Springfield for a men’s Christian ministry meeting and was going about his usual Saturday routine when he was gunned down before being found in a Clifton Avenue alley on July 14.
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Edley’s family celebrated his life Thursday afternoon during his funeral. They spoke with the Springfield News-Sun this week about their late family member and his homicide.
“It’s frustrating not knowing why or who or what was the reasoning,” Kelley Edley said of his father’s death. “It’s hard to describe. I just want to know why.”
Howard Edley was shot and killed late Saturday and was found in a Clifton Ave. alley between East Rose Street and Rice Street in Springfield. Police responded to the alley to find Howard Edley sitting in a running truck with an unidentified number of gunshot wounds, according to a police report.
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Kelley Edley said his father was a dedicated, loving man who would help anyone in need.
“All I have is good memories,” Kelley Edley said. “He was very generous. The door was always open.”
He said he never heard his father cuss, drink or smoke.
“He lived right by the Bible,” Kelley Edley said. “You’d meet him and you would know he was a Christian.”
Howard Edley lived the majority of life in Clark and Champaign County and moved to Holmes County about a year ago, Kelley Edley said. He traveled to Springfield every Saturday to take part in a men’s ministry group, his son said.
People need to think before they act, Kelley Edley said, especially if they are about to hurt someone.
“Think about the impact you are having on a family’s life,” he said. “Think about yourself.”
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