Rochester police are again asking for information in the unsolved 1975 killing of a young mother whose four children were inside the home when she was attacked.
Norris “Snookie” Evans was 27 when she was killed at her home at 5 Kron Street in Rochester, Monroe County, New York. The first police call came late on May 23, 1975, and her body was discovered shortly after midnight on May 24. More than 51 years later, no one has been charged with her murder. Her family and the Rochester Police Department continue seeking information that could resolve the case.
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Police Were Called To Snookie’s Home Before She Was Found
At 11:24 p.m. on May 23, an unidentified man called Rochester police and reported “family trouble” at the Kron Street home before abruptly ending the call.
An officer arrived minutes later, knocked repeatedly, and looked through a window with a flashlight. According to police records reviewed by (585) magazine, the home appeared dark and quiet, and no one responded. The officer left without finding anyone who appeared to need assistance.
Police were called back to the address less than an hour later after Snookie’s husband, Lewis Evans, returned from work and went to a neighbor for help. He told investigators he had found his wife in the living room.
The home appeared to have been ransacked, and its telephone had been pulled from the wall. Lewis told police that $1,100 in cash was missing. Snookie’s ankles had been bound, and an autopsy determined that she suffered multiple stab wounds. All four children, who ranged in age from 3 months to 6 years old, were inside the home and survived unharmed.
Investigators later questioned whether the disarray inside the home represented a burglary or whether someone had arranged the scene to appear that way. No forced entry was reported.
Snookie Had Told Relatives She Wanted To Leave Her Marriage
Police records also documented trouble in Snookie’s marriage before her death.
She and Lewis had recently separated for a short period before she returned home. On the day she was killed, Snookie called her cousin Ronald Purdue and said she wanted to leave her husband but was afraid of him, according to the police report.
Her sister, Ellen Evans, told WROC in 2026 that Snookie had also confided in her about being afraid of Lewis.
“I said, ‘Why don’t you come and stay with me?’” Ellen recalled telling her sister. “I’m not afraid of him. Come and stay with me.”
Investigators questioned Lewis along with neighbors, friends, and relatives who regularly visited the home. Snookie’s family has long suspected that a life insurance policy may have been connected to her death. Police records show investigators examined a policy taken out shortly before the killing and raised questions about whether Snookie’s signature on it was authentic.
Lewis denied killing his wife, and investigators did not develop enough evidence to charge him. No one else has been charged in the case.
Her Children Are Still Seeking Answers
Moreover, Snookie’s children were babies and small children when their mother was killed. They have spent much of their adult lives trying to understand what happened inside their childhood home.
Her son Daryl Evans, who was 2 years old in 1975, told WROC that losing his mother affected the course of his life.
“It affects me. Oh my goodness, I can’t even explain it,” he said. “I would be a totally different person.”
Her daughter, Tamara Sinclair, later began searching publicly for people who remembered her mother and seeking more information about the investigation. The renewed attention eventually brought additional scrutiny to old police records and evidence from the case.
Rochester Police Investigator Seth Carr has participated in the modern review of Snookie’s murder. Reporting by The Deck and NBC News found that some physical evidence from the original investigation cannot now be subjected to the type of forensic testing available in modern homicide cases because of how it was preserved or handled decades ago. Investigators believe they may need information from people who know what happened to move the case forward.
The Rochester Police Department case number is 1975-00395412.
Anyone with information about Norris “Snookie” Evans’ murder can contact the Rochester Police Department Major Crimes Unit at 585-428-7157 or MajorCrimes@CityOfRochester.gov. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Rochester Area Crime Stoppers at 585-423-9300.
Please share this story about Norris “Snookie” Evans as Rochester police continue investigating her unsolved murder. She is our sister, and her life matters.
Case Number: 1975-00395412
Agency: Rochester Police Department Major Crimes
Phone: 585-428-7157
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