Robert Godwin, the 74-year-old Cleveland man whose murder was filmed and posted on Facebook by alleged killer Steve Stephens, has fake GoFundMe pages being set up in his honor, and the family warns the public not to give to these fake accounts.
Godwin’s family told the media when and how they plan to alert members of the public interested in making a donation in Robert Godwin’s name.
The family of Godwin made this announcement because, by Monday morning, there were at least two GoFundMe accounts set up in Godwin’s name, without the family’s permission, requesting donations of up to $5K. Fortunately, not a single contribution has been made to either account.
On Sunday night, April 16, relatives held a memorial to pay homage to the man whose inexplicable death was posted on Facebook that afternoon.
Godwin was randomly shot and killed by Stephens, who remains at large and is being tracked by a cadre of local, state and federal police agencies in at least five states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Indiana.
Godwin’s son, Robert Godwin Jr, could not hold back tears as he remembered his father.
“He was a good guy. He’d give you the shirt off his back. I’m not just saying that for the cameras. I’m telling the truth,” Godwin Jr told a Cleveland television station.
“This man right here was a good man. I just hate that he’s gone. I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s not real,” he added.
Godwin’s daughter added, “I feel like my heart is going to stop.”
Godwin died after he was confronted by Stephens along East 93rd St in northeast Cleveland, not far from Lake Erie.
Godwin was a retired foundry worker and leaves behind nine children, 14 grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren, according to Cleveland.com.
Godwin Jr explained that he last saw his father on Sunday morning when he stopped by to pick up a piece of basketball equipment for another relative.
