Grieving mother offers reward in son’s death

On a cold December evening in southeast Oklahoma City, a man helping his girlfriend’s mother move was gunned down. Months later, little has developed in the case and the man’s mother is hoping a $10,000 reward will lead police to his killer.

About 5:20 p.m. on Dec. 29, Oklahoma City officers responded to the 3900 block of SE 48, where in front of a home they found Malek Higginbotham, 21, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to OU Medical Center where he later died.

With little to no traction in the case, his mother, Iayisha Higginbotham-Bland, has traveled to Oklahoma City from Pennsylvania to bring attention back to the case.

She said the night Malek Higginbotham was killed, he was in the process of helping his girlfriend’s mother move to a new home when he went inside to tell her a dolly wouldn’t fit in a packed moving truck and offered to take it in his pickup.

His mother said she thinks someone was in the pickup and most likely was startled as her son approached, pulled a gun and shot him in the back.

Master Sgt. Gary Knight commented on the killing, describing Malek Higginbotham as a “real victim,” a man in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Iayisha Higginbotham Bland said her family moved to Oklahoma City in 2006, and that her son was never in any trouble, graduated from Job Corps, and had two jobs.

“That’s what kills me,” she said about the senselessness of her son’s death.

“The good people are the ones that die.”

A candlelight vigil in honor of Malek Higginbotham will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at 3913 SE 48.

The reward is being offered for the arrest and conviction of Malek Higginbotham’s killer. Anyone with information about the shooting should call the homicide tip line at 297-1200.