Family seeks information in son's death

The family of a Toronto man who died after he was run over by an SUV is now offering $150,000 for information about Christopher Skinner's death.

Skinner, 27, got into an altercation with the occupants of a black SUV near Adelaide Street East and Victoria Street on Oct. 19, 2009.

Skinner fought with the occupants and was knocked to the ground. The occupants returned to their vehicle and ran over Skinner, police said. Police are treatinghis death as a homicide.

Monday would have been Christopher Skinner's 29th birthday and his family is hoping the reward will lead to new information.

"It's a tough day," Skinner's father, Warren, told CBC's Jasmin Seputis on Monday. "Yesterday was Mother's Day. Christopher was born on May 9 of 1982 which actually was Mother's Day that year. It was a difficult day and today's his birthday, so it's back-to-back tough days."

Warren Skinner spent some quiet time Monday reflecting on his son's life at a memorial pond the family built in Sanford, Ont., located northeast of Toronto.

"It sort of reminds us of Christopher and we buried some of his ashes underneath the pond. He was very musical, very talented in the arts. And he liked to party and he liked to have a good time."

Video shows final moments

Police have surveillance video that shows Christopher Skinner trying to hail a cab on Adelaide Street near Yonge on the night he died.

The video shows several vehicles drive by. The last one is a black SUV.Skinner touched the vehicle, and then several peoplegot out of the SUV and confronted him.

The video shows them getting back into the SUV.Skinner is run over, and the SUV drives off. Toronto police Det.Stacey Gallant believes the $25,000 the family added to the reward Monday could deliver a break in the case.

"I am hoping that that may encourage those that are responsible for the murder of Chris Skinner to come forward," Gallant told CBC News. "And anyone that knows any information about this murder, if that is their motivation, to come forward as the reward then so be it. If not,I hope this is weighing on them heavily."

The Skinner family believes somebody must know something about Christopher's death and are not giving up hope that someone will step forward.