WSVN — They were a mother and a daughter, but actually they were much more.
Michelle Zubrowski: "My mom and I were very close. I'm the only child and we were like friends, a lot of people would think she was my sister."
Of course Michelle will never forget her mother, and never forget that day nine years ago when her father gave her the news.
Michelle Zubrowski: "And he just said mommy is dead, and I basically fell out of my shoes and he said she was murdered, and I didn't believe him. You know you are in shock."
Jan Marie Knott was found in her home, in her hallway, in a bloody mess.
Sgt. Ken Kaminsky: "We know that Jan Knott was stabbed to death. She was brutally stabbed multiple times."
Michelle Zubrowski: "The weapon was found. Yes it was a knife from my moms house, from the butcher block."
Her death shocked her family and stunned her friends.
Michelle Zubrowski: "I just remember everybody's reaction is like wow because you know, you don't think this is going to happen in a middle class neighborhood."
Michelle spoke to her mother that night and then its believed Jan went thru her nightly ritual of walking her dog. Jan also had a habit of doing something else.
Michelle Zubrowski: "Because my mom trusted everybody, she probably left the door unlocked when she walked the door that night."
When Jan returned home, something may have happened in the front yard. Her dog was found inside the house, but the dogs leash was in the driveway. The killer either met her there or was already inside the house.
Michelle Zubrowski: "There was no forced entry, nothing was stolen or anything. Either my mother let the person in, or they were waiting for her
Answering those questions is Sgt. Ken Kaminsky's job.
Sgt. Ken Kaminsky: "We have interviewed hundreds of people throughout this investigation, anything from neighbors to her closest friends and associates, as well as people that she worked with. There wasn't any indication necessarily that Jan Knott had enemies or people that wanted to hurt her necessarily."
But when Jans mother spoke to her daughter on the day she was murdered, She felt something or someone was bothering her.
Yolanda Carpenter: "And I don't know how many times she called me that day. I should have picked up on it, and I kept saying Jan, is there anything wrong, and she say, no I just wanted to talk to you."
Patrick Fraser: "Jan talked to her mother but never told her what was troubling her. Nine years later, her family still has no idea whether it was a person or a personal problem, no idea who killed her, but detectives are convinced someone does."
Sgt. Ken Kaminsky: "We believe that somebody has information out there in our community that might know who killed Jan Knott that night."
This was the first homicide case Sgt. Kaminsky ever investigated. That's one reason he will never forget it.
Sgt. Ken Kaminsky: "To be able to solve this will be a great achievement, not only to Broward Sheriffs Office, but as well as for the family, as well as residences here in Broward County,"
Its his job to find the killer, Its Michelles goal in life to see him captured.
Michelle Zubrowski: "I want to know why, why he took my mom away from me? I have a son now that he wont know his grandmother, and I miss her. I miss her, we were really close."
Patrick Fraser: "Detectives wont say if they have a suspect, but if they do, one piece of evidence may help them nail the killer. If you have any information about the murder of Jan Marie Knott, Broward sheriffs detectives would like to hear from you. And if you feel a murdered family member or friend has been forgotten, give us a call and show that you are still Out for Justice."
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Out for Justice MIAMI-DADE: 305-598-HELPBROWARD: 954-796-HELP