Two Years Later, $50,000 Reward Offers Renewed Hope for Answers in Cypress Family Tragedy
For the people who knew and loved Kelly Masciarelli, Kolin Foster and Cameryn Richard, August 18 is more than a date on an unsolved case file.
It marks another year without three people whose lives were woven into families, friendships and ordinary moments that those closest to them still carry. It also marks another year without knowing who was responsible for taking them away.
On the second anniversary of their deaths, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Houston and Crime Stoppers of Houston are again asking the Cypress community for help. The FBI has increased its reward to up to $50,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible, according to information released Tuesday.
For investigators, renewed attention could bring forward a detail that has been missing. For the families and friends who have lived with unanswered questions since August 18, 2024, it represents something more personal: another chance for someone, somewhere, to help them understand what happened and move one step closer to justice.
“Two years later, we have not forgotten Kelly, Kolin, or Cameryn,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. “Our investigators remain committed to finding those responsible and bringing justice to their families. We believe there are people who know what happened that night, and we are asking them to come forward.”
What Happened on Plains River Drive on August 18, 2024
The investigation began early on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, when Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a house fire in the 14600 block of Plains River Drive in the Cypress Mill area, near Fry Road and U.S. 290.
Inside, authorities found three people dead.
The victims were subsequently identified as Kelly Masciarelli, her son Kolin Foster and his girlfriend Cameryn Richard.
Sheriff Gonzalez reported the morning of the fire that investigators believed the three had died before the house burned. By the following day, investigators said the fire appeared to have been deliberately set using an accelerant after the victims had already been killed.
The FBI and Harris County Sheriff’s Office later released surveillance footage connected to the investigation. The FBI says video from the morning of Aug. 18 captured a suspect and a dark-colored four-door sedan believed to be connected to the killings.
In February 2025, authorities made another public appeal for information and released additional surveillance evidence. At the time, the FBI offered a reward of up to $25,000.
“This was a senseless and devastating act of violence that has shattered a family and left our community reeling,” Gonzalez said during that renewed appeal. “We are committed to bringing those responsible to justice and providing some measure of closure to the victim's loved ones.”
Now, two years after the killings, the reward has doubled.
Remembering Kelly, Kolin and Cameryn
The names at the center of the Cypress triple murder and arson investigation belonged to people whose lives reached far beyond what happened inside the home on Plains River Drive.
Kelly Masciarelli was remembered in a fundraiser created to help loved ones celebrate her life as loyal, resilient, honest and encouraging — an animal lover and a friend capable of bringing laughter into difficult days and of making other people feel seen and valued.
Music held a particularly important place in Kelly's life. Loved ones recalled the happiness she found in singing, dancing and simply listening to the songs she loved, and described her as someone whose combination of strength, honesty and playfulness stayed with people long after a conversation ended.
Kolin Paul Foster likewise lives on in the stories friends tell about him.
Those memories include his interest in culinary arts and good food, trips to the zoo — particularly the reptile room and big cats — his appreciation for old cars and countless everyday adventures with the people who knew him. He had recently finished auto mechanic school before his passing.
Yasmine Manesh, who described Kolin as her first love, prom date and first roommate, remembered him as “so funny, smart, and passionate.”
Friend Jesus Rivera remembered Kolin as someone willing to show up when a friend needed help, recalling how Kolin once drove through icy weather to pick him up after a long work shift.
Cameryn Nichole Richard, born Feb. 24, 2003, was remembered by her family as someone who brought laughter, compassion and warmth into the lives around her. Known affectionately as “Cam,” she graduated from Klein Collins High School in 2021 and later worked as a junior recruiter for a staffing company. She has plans of becoming a hair stylist.
Her obituary described a young woman who cared deeply for others, loved animals, enjoyed hair and makeup and had a gift for making people smile. Those closest to her remembered someone fiercely loyal to friends and family, with a sensitive heart and a willingness to put the wellbeing of others ahead of her own.
Cameryn was 21.
Why Investigators Are Again Asking Cypress Residents to Look Back
Investigators hope the anniversary and the increased $50,000 FBI reward in the Cypress murder case will prompt someone to reconsider what they may have seen, heard or learned around the time of the killings.
Previously released surveillance footage shows a male suspect described by authorities as tall with a muscular or medium-to-muscular build. He was seen getting into a dark four-door sedan driven by another person. The FBI's earlier description identified the vehicle as appearing blue or black and noted distinguishing features that included a third brake light positioned low in the rear window.
The FBI has publicly released surveillance video showing both the person investigators believe was involved and the vehicle connected to the case.
Two years can make a memory feel distant. It can also change circumstances.
Relationships change. Loyalties change. Someone who was once reluctant to speak may now feel differently. A resident who saw an unfamiliar car in Cypress that morning may recognize its significance today in a way they did not then.
That is why investigators are emphasizing that information does not have to seem dramatic or conclusive to be worth reporting.
“Even the smallest piece of information could be critical to this investigation,” Gonzalez said. “If you know something, please come forward. These families deserve answers.”
The increased reward cannot erase two years of grief. But investigators hope it may help produce the information needed to bring the people responsible before the justice system — and give three grieving circles of family and friends some measure of the closure they have been denied.
How to Submit a Tip in the Cypress Triple Murder Case
Anyone with information about the murders of Kelly Masciarelli, Kolin Foster and Cameryn Richard, the fire at the Plains River Drive home, the unidentified suspect, the vehicle seen in surveillance footage or circumstances surrounding the crime is urged to contact investigators.
Tips may be submitted to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or through the FBI's online tip system at tips.fbi.gov. The FBI continues to direct people with information about the Cypress triple homicide and arson investigation to those reporting channels.
Information can also be provided to Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers provides anonymous tip-reporting options for Harris County cases.
No detail is too small simply because two years have passed.
For the families and friends of Kelly, Kolin and Cameryn — and for neighbors who have watched this case remain unresolved since that August morning — the hope is that renewed attention reaches the person who knows something investigators still need to hear.
My Neighborhood News will share verified updates as they become available.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
