Five thousand dollars has been pledged as a reward to help solve an animal abuse case in Hinds County. PETA is offering the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for putting two live puppies into an aquarium and cementing the lid shut.

It’s a truly inhumane act that deserves punishment.

But contrast that with the lack of a reward being offered to find the person or persons responsible for the murder of Bridget London Hall here in Brookhaven. Hall, a 43-year-old mother, was shot multiple times at close range in her home on Vivian Merritt Street in July.

Crimestoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the case, but there’s been no other reward offered that we are aware of.

In previous criminal cases in Brookhaven and Lincoln County, rewards have been offered.

• The city offered a reward of $2,000 for information about the vandalism of a city water tower.

• Brookhaven businesses offered a $500 reward for information when several business windows were shot with a pellet gun.

• A $10,000 reward was offered for information about a hit-and-run accident on I-55 in Brookhaven.

Those are just a handful that we easily found searching the newspaper’s archives.

Why has there been no reward fund created to help solve Hall’s case? We’ve suggested on numerous occasions that a fund be established and have offered to publicize it so people will know about it and can make donations.

If the family needs help creating such an account, we’re certain the police department can point them in the right direction. It has been done before and can easily be done again.

We’re confident there are several individuals and businesses who would gladly donate if it helped find Hall’s killer. While the murder itself is unnerving, knowing her killer is still free makes the tragedy that much worse.