IN THE PIPELINE:

“I want people to know Dane deserves better than this,” said his mother, Valen Williams, this past week. “He was a good kid, and somebody knows what happened. And they can let us know, so we can start our healing process.”

This is a mom who will not surrender to apathy, who, along with her husband and daughter, continues to bring attention to the fact that her son’s death in San Diego has yet to be solved — and that something has to give. The lack of movement in the case is a crime in itself to many of us who cannot understand why there is not more public clamor or outrage.

As you probably recall, 23-year-old Dane Williams was last seen at 1:30 a.m. Jan. 26, leaving the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. His body was found three days later in a City Heights alley.

A few days ago, Valen was in San Diego as the first of 45 bus shelters were unveiled. The shelters feature Dane’s photo and a new, doubled reward for information (the reward is $20,000). San Diego County Crime Stoppers is offering $1,000; Jack’s Surfboards in Huntington Beach is offering $9,000; and Hurley International, a skate-and surf-apparel company in Costa Mesa where Dane interned, is offering $10,000.

Valen told me the unveiling was well-attended by the media, although unfortunately, the detectives assigned to the case were unable to attend, and thus unable to offer any comment publicly on the status of the case. Unable to attend? What could possibly have been more important than this? But then, it’s this seeming lack of urgency, coupled with the apparent lack of media interest that’s made so many of us frustrated.

Jim Williams, Dane’s dad, explains in a soft, careful voice, how each unresolved day becomes more painful.

“We have no protocol for this — how much pressure we should put on the detectives, when we should just let them do their job. As a family we just never thought that we’d have to deal with something like this. We’re told that cases like this can drag on for years, by then there’s some motivation for someone to offer information. Maybe they get busted for something else, they have information, and so they’ll offer it up for a reduced sentence. Or maybe it comes down to someone wanting the reward.”

Jim’s voice cracks when he talks about Dane, and it is heartbreaking. For all of the frustration with the investigation, this tragedy comes down to the simple fact of a family missing a beloved member.

“A year ago,” Jim says, “we were just like any other family on the Fourth of July. Everything was so normal. Dane would be with some friends, come home for part of the day, go surfing, swing back by the house. Family was important to Dane and a big part of his life. We thought that would never change, who knows, maybe you even take those moments for granted. But we never thought that the next Fourth of July would be like this.”

Through his tears, Jim struggles to make sense of this brutal, unfair loss. “You can’t take those moments for granted. You just don’t know what will happen.”

This case needs more attention, obviously. The Williams family needs community support to increase pressure on both the public and the authorities. They are our neighbors, they are our family — they are us.

Those interested in giving can go into a Wells Fargo Bank and donate to “The Dane Williams Memorial Fund” and anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Does the lack of attention regarding this case concern you? We want your thoughts. Post at In The Pipeline, www.hbindependent.com/ columns.

CHRIS EPTING is the author of 14 books. You can write him at chris@chrisepting.com.