The father of a man murdered in Dartmouth 20 years ago believes the relationship between Halifax Regional Police and some communities is preventing investigators from solving the case.

Police have always said they believe Jason MacCullough was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But his father, Allan MacCullough, says tips might be more plentiful if police got along better with people in the neighbourhood.

Time seems to move slowly in Allan MacCullough's surveyor office in north-end Dartmouth.

Life has moved on in the two decades since he got the worst news of his life 20 years ago.

The fact that his son's murder is still unsolved feels unreal.

"Yeah, it's pretty hard to believe," said Allan MacCullough. "If someone would have told me 20 years ago, I would have said 'no way', you know? The police are going to come up with a solution by then."

Police found MacCullough’s body on a paved path between 100 and 104 Pinecrest Drive around 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 28, 1999.

A number of people called 911 after hearing shots, but his body wasn't found until a police dog was brought in.

Investigators believe the 19-year-old man was passing through the area while walking home and used the well-known short cut between the buildings.

Now the site of a park named in his honour, Jason MacCullough is never far from the thoughts of the people who live in the neighbourhood.

Dave Erikson was home watching a movie at the time.

"The next day, well that night, actually, I heard the commotion," Erikson said. "And there was a lot of people gathered around and stuff. The cops were searching the neighbourhood and all that."

Police say there was no indication Jason MacCullough was involved in any kind of criminal activity, leading them to believe this was a random murder -- perhaps the hardest kind to solve.   

"I strongly believe he was a great kid, educated, very smart, but the bottom line is, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time," said area resident George Fagan.

Police also believe there were witnesses to the shooting, but none have ever come forward, presumably out of fear.

They're hoping time may change that.

"We hope that the passage of time has changed those circumstances, and people will come forward and feel that they can do that now, and help us bring some closure to the family," said Halifax Regional Police spokesman Const. John MacLeod.

For Allan MacCullough, the problem extends further than that.

"I blame it on maybe a lack of communication between the police and the community," he said. "If there was more communication, then people would be coming forward with more information, but if they believe the police are the enemy, people aren't going to come forward and be forthcoming."

So, life continues to move on, albeit slowly, for the MacCullough family, 20 years into an enduring, unsolved mystery that still feels unreal.

The case is also listed in Nova Scotia's major unsolved crimes program. Up to $150,000 is up for grabs to anyone with information leading to an arrest and conviction and perhaps some closure for the MacCullough family.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Bruce Frisko.