Lt. Todd Cox was walking his dog in Norfolk, Va., Thursday night with his daughter, fiancee and her daughter. Neighbors told police a man drove up, shot him and drove away. Cox's family said he died of five bullet wounds.

Police have been interviewing witnesses, but they still do not have a motive and have not made any arrests.

Cox's mother, Nancy, said she is still trying to understand how this happened.

Cox was a decorated veteran of the Persian Gulf War and he had recently returned from Iraq.

"I was really shocked when they showed up at my door to tell me they had some bad news to tell me about my son. It was very very hard," said Nancy Cox.

Cox traveled around the world as a naval officer, but his mother said no matter where he was he remembered his family. In fact, she received a package from him the day he was killed.

"I have thimbles from all of the places he was. He always sent me a thimble. And I have all of his cards and his letters," said Cox.

Cox said she hadn't seen her son in two years, but was planning to visit him this summer. Now she's asking for his casket to be opened at his funeral, so she can hold his hand and give him a kiss one last time, while police are still looking for the killer.

"It's hard for a mother to say anything. I don't know what I would say to him. Maybe they should do they same thing to him that he did to my son," said Cox.

In lieu of flowers, Cox's family is asking that contributions be sent to the United Cerebral Palsy Association.