Nearly two years after Austin Kanuch was brutally murdered inside his West Harris County home, Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Authorities say 39-year-old Austin Kanuch was killed around 4 a.m. on September 22, 2023, at his rental home in the 8600 block of Greenleaf Lake Drive.
During the press conference held Thursday morning, Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers announced an increased reward of $20,000 for information that helps solve the case.
Detective Kaelin Turner with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office provided an update on the ongoing investigation. Turner said deputies canvassed a large area, collecting surveillance footage and witness statements from North Meade Village in the Copperfield area.
Investigators said they’ve received a handful of tips, but nothing solid.
Detectives confirmed surveillance video shows the suspect approaching the victim’s home on a mountain bike, but the footage only reveals a thin, post-adolescent person.
The attack happened while Austin was asleep in his bed. Investigators believe it was a targeted incident, though a clear motive remains unknown. A weapon, described only as an “edged weapon,” was recovered at the scene.
In an emotional plea for justice, Celene Miller, the mother of Kanuch, spoke publicly about her son’s life and the deep loss his family is enduring.
“Austin was a beautiful soul. He lived big, with a big smile and a hearty laugh. If you knew him, you knew that about him,” she said through tears.
Miller described Austin as a “peacemaker” and “friend to everyone,” and said his murder has left a painful void in their lives.
“But love can’t bring justice,” she added, urging anyone with information to come forward.
As detectives continue their work, Austin’s family remains determined to find answers.
“Austin was a beautiful soul. He lived his life in a big way and had a big smile and a hearty laugh. If you knew him, you knew that about him. He just filled the room, his light shone brightly from the moment that he was born.”
What happened?
An unknown person broke into the home while Kanuch was asleep and stabbed him before fleeing on a mountain-bike style bicycle. His wife and baby were inside the home at the time but were not harmed.
Surveillance video captured a person of interest riding a mountain bike near the home around the time of the attack, but no arrests have been made.
Kanuch’s family has remained outspoken, desperate for answers in the months since his death.
“All the memories that we have of him are very special, but we won’t have any more,” Kanuch’s mother, Celene Miller, previously told KPRC 2’s Corley Peel.
Kanuch, a successful luxury car salesman, had just closed on a new home with his wife the day before he was killed.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Division at 281-564-5988.