San Antonio family asks for answers after killing a loved one

SAN ANTONIO. A heartbroken family desperately searches for information about who killed their beloved son and brother.

It happened in broad daylight in the parking lot of the Blue Vine residential complex on Tuesday.

“We will do nothing to get justice for our brother and make sure that whoever did this will be punished to the fullest,” Jason Leard said after the murder of his brother.

Until about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Zachary Leard, 31, was the kind of soul that lit up every space he had ever entered, family members said.

His siblings said he was a cheerful and loving person. His sister Jocelyn agreed, saying “That’s not enough to describe him.”

They say they don’t know why Zack ended up in Vandiver’s 6900 block, but they wonder if a social media app lured him to his death.

“It could be a hate crime,” Jason said. “My brother was gay so I don’t know if that was part of why he was shot or if someone took advantage of him because they thought he was an easy target.”

Police say someone shot Zack and left him for dead in the parking lot before taking his car and cell phone.

“This is a blue Nissan Rogue, navy blue. Recently, black discs have been put on him. There is some damage to his driver’s side window on the body on the outside of the car,” Jason said. “He has a bright Parker McCollum sticker on the rear windshield because that was his favorite musician.”

A car with Texas license plate PLY2580 is pictured below.

Jocelyn said that Zach, the fourth of five siblings, was the one person who always took care of everyone else.

“On the way here, I thought, ‘What would he want me to do?’” she said. “He’s the kind of guy who says, ‘Get your makeup on.’ He always gave his best.”

Jocelyn said that Zach had a wide circle of friends.

“He worked at the famous gay bar Pegasus, so I would say to members of the LGBTQ+ community, and especially to those who knew my brother: you knew him best. You knew what kind of person he was when he wasn’t with his family. …Of course he’s going to be hiding something, so any information you can provide would be helpful.”

The family said they were not interested in shame or guilt, only in gathering enough evidence to help the police find Zach’s killer. It is said that if this happened to anyone else in the community, Zach would lead the process to restore justice.

“He would put his heart into a cause like this,” Joslin said.

The police released several clues related to the murder, but Jocelyn said she knows there are many people who could help.

“He knows a bunch of people, keeps in touch with a bunch of people. He had to make sure everyone knew the name of the victim, the type of car. He will make sure that all information is shared in his community,” Joslin said.

Reflecting on what might have happened, Jason said that everyone should be careful when meeting strangers.

“We believe he may have been lured into this situation through the app. You never know who you are meeting when you meet strangers through apps for whatever reason. (In) OfferUp you can try to sell something, meet anything, and people need to know what they are doing and who they are contacting.”

Jocelyn said she hoped Zach’s friends would provide any information because that’s what he would do. She hopes that his friends will be vigilant.

“Make sure you share your location. Make sure you tell people where you are. You don’t have to tell me; tell your best friend. Tell someone, she said. “It just needs to be done because I don’t want another family to go through this.”

The family said that Vandiver Road between Eisenhower and Austin Highway was densely populated and crowded. They hope that whoever killed Zack and stole his car dumped it somewhere nearby. They hope that anyone who lives or works nearby will be on the lookout and help them find justice.

The siblings also said they were very grateful for the support they received after rumors of the murder began to circulate on social media.

“My phone kept ringing from people I never even talked to to express their condolences to our brother,” Jason said.

“Look at his Facebook page; There are so many different people who wish our family condolences,” his sister Jocelyn added. “Wishing us healing, love, and sharing memories. I don’t even know all these people. It’s so touching to know that he influenced so many people.”

The Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio released the following statement on social media late Wednesday night: