On the evening of May 8, 1996, Dr. Tsunao Saitoh and his 13-year-old daughter, Loullie Saitoh, were ambushed and fatally shot in their driveway in San Diego after returning from Dr. Saitoh’s research lab. Dr. Saitoh was found slumped over in the car; Loullie managed to run a short distance before collapsing. Investigators recovered numerous .380 caliber casings and ballistics linked the shots to a Grendel P-12 semi-automatic pistol, a rare firearm made in limited quantities, but the murder weapon was never recovered.

Dr. Saitoh was a prominent neuroscientist reportedly on the verge of an important Alzheimer’s research breakthrough. Motive remains unknown: theories have ranged from a targeted professional attack to random violence, but no concrete evidence supports any theory. San Diego police tested known Grendel pistols in the county without finding a match and continue to list the case as unsolved.

If anyone has information about the shooting, the weapon, or unusual activity in the area that night, please share what is known with investigators.