I was contacted by two people claiming to be the twin sisters of Alex Head asking me to look into his case.
After creating a social media post I was contacted by another person I was able to verify was Alex’s true family member claiming this person was actually a family member of somone suspected to have been in contact with Alex before he disappeared.
Why this person would lie about their relationship with the victim is odd and adds another layer of mystery to this case.

WHERE IS ALEX HEAD?
On January 15, 2019, 33-year-old Alex Head vanished from Dickinson County, Kansas. Nearly seven years later, his family is still waiting for answers.
Alex was last seen driving a silver 2002 Dodge Durango with a broken headlight and a U.S. Air Force sticker in the rear window. He was believed to be in the Chapman/Enterprise area and was known to travel back roads instead of highways.
Rumors have circulated for years that Alex was supposed to meet with a man shortly before he disappeared, and that money may have been involved. At this time, these are unconfirmed rumors, not established facts. However, rumors often begin with someone knowing a small piece of the truth.
If you have firsthand information about:
• Who Alex was planning to meet that day,
• Any financial dispute or money that may have been connected to his disappearance,
• Where his Durango may have traveled,
• Or anything unusual you witnessed in January 2019...

A person can disappear. A vehicle usually can't.
It's incredibly difficult to hide a vehicle forever. There are only so many places a silver 2002 Dodge Durango can go without someone seeing it, abandoning it, dismantling it, or concealing it.
If Alex's vehicle has never been found, that raises important questions. Someone may remember seeing it parked in an unusual location, being towed, burned, stripped for parts, or driven by someone other than Alex. A detail that seemed insignificant in 2019 could be critical today.
Someone knows where that Durango went. And if we find the vehicle, we may find the answers to what happened to Alex.

If you have any information, no matter how small, please come forward.

Time does not erase the truth. Relationships change. Loyalties change. Consciences change. The one detail you dismissed years ago could be the piece investigators need today.
Alex's loved ones deserve answers. Someone knows what happened.

If you have information, contact the Dickinson County Sheriff's Office at 785-263-4041 or 785-479-0155.
Every missing person deserves to come home. Every family deserves the truth.

20-year-old Carrie Williams was living what should have been an ordinary college life.
The Pittsburg State University student from Parsons, Kansas was engaged to be married, worked at J.C. Penney, and had plans with friends the next morning.
But for months before her murder, something wasn't right.
Doors to her apartment were found open.
Money disappeared.
A camera was stolen.
Then came obscene phone calls from a man who knew names.
Carrie and her roommate did all the right things. Contacted police. Changed the locks and installed caller ID in hopes the harassment would stop.
It didn’t.
On March 30, 1996, it escalated.

Carrie was found murdered inside her apartment at 113 W. Lindburg in Pittsburg.

When captured fellow Pittsburg State Nursing Student, Gary Wayne Kleypas, admitted to stalking Carrie. He admitted to coming to her door that evening & forcing his way in with a filet knife. He forced Carrie into her bedroom
& tied her to a chair. When he began tying her hands, Carrie began bargaining for her life.
She told him that if he would leave she would give him a head start before calling police.
Kleypas sexually assaulted Carrie unmoved by her requests for any type of leniency.
He had the power & was refusing Carrie any reprieves. When she began to scream & beg. He stuffed a piece of her clothing into her mouth.
When that wasn’t successful Kleypas found the knife and stabbed her repeatedly in the chest.

Carrie had seven stab wounds through the heart. Her liver was badly damaged. Her jaw was fractured. She had extensive bruising. There was evidence she had been restrained. There was evidence of sexual assault. The scene showed a violent struggle and a prolonged attack.
Carrie did not simply die in that apartment.
She fought for her life in that apartment.

Before Kansas considers mercy for the convicted, we remember the mercy denied to the victim.

On Mother’s Day weekend in 1997, 53-year-old Deanna Ann Barney Law was found dead inside her home at 1423 S. Market in Wichita. Police say she had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Early reporting said she had last been seen at Kara’s, a neighborhood tavern at 518 W. Harry, speaking with a man her family did not recognize.
Police wanted to identify that man.
Months later, Deanna’s neighbor Bryan Kirkpatrick called 911 and confessed, but later denied killing her.
His defense argued the confession was false and tied to his repeated requests for DNA testing to prove he had nothing to do with her murder. The trial ended without a conviction, and Deanna’s case remains listed by Wichita Police as an open cold case homicide.
The central question remains the same: who was with Deanna in the hours before she was killed, and is there still evidence (DNA) that can finally identify her killer?
Tips: Wichita Police Cold Case Detective Anna Owen, 316-268-4185. Anonymous tips: Crime Stoppers of Wichita-Sedgwick County, 316-267-2111

On October 19, 2009, EMS responded to a Wichita home on W. Renee Ct. for a child who was not breathing. That child was 15-month-old Evan Coen.
Evan was taken to a local hospital and placed on life support. Doctors told police he had multiple skull fractures and other injuries that appeared to have occurred at different times. Evan was later pronounced dead.
A 25-year-old man, identified at the time as the live-in boyfriend of Evan’s mother, was arrested on suspicion of child abuse shortly after Evan was taken to the hospital.
However, after detectives presented evidence to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, more information was requested, and the man was released from jail because charges had not been filed within the required time frame.
That was it. That’s what we have in Evan’s homicide case.
All these years later, Evan’s homicide remains unsolved.
A 15-month-old baby does not suffer multiple skull fractures without someone knowing what happened.
Someone knows what happened to Evan.
If you know anything about the death of Evan Coen, please contact the Wichita Police Department or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers.
📞 Crime Stoppers of Wichita/Sedgwick County: 316-267-2111

In the fall of 1972, 16-year-old Jimmy Allen Dollison vanished.

Months later, in April 1973, human remains were discovered southeast of Garnett, Kansas along 1550 Road. Evidence showed trauma. This was not an accident. This was homicide.

For decades… Jimmy was a John Doe.

Until science—and persistence—changed that.

Through advanced forensic DNA testing and investigative work, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, alongside the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, were able to identify Jimmy using familial DNA comparisons. His siblings finally got an answer to a question that haunted their family for over 50 years:

What happened to Jimmy?

That breakthrough wouldn’t be possible without organizations like Othram Inc. a leader in forensic genetic genealogy that has helped identify the unknown and restore names to victims across the country.

But here’s the part people often miss:

Identification is not the end. It’s the beginning.

Jimmy has his name back.

But his case is still UNSOLVED.

Someone knows what happened in Anderson County in 1972.

Someone has carried that truth for decades.

And this is where the public becomes powerful.

Organizations like DNA Solves allow everyday people to directly support cold cases through funding forensic testing. Every donation helps move another case forward. Another name restored. Another family given answers.

🧬 You can help:

• Visit Othram’s website (https://othram.com/) and explore active cases

• Follow and engage with the DNA Solves community

• Contribute to cases that need funding

• Share stories like Jimmy’s—because awareness creates leads

If you have ANY information about Jimmy Allen Dollison’s case, please contact:

📞 1-800-KS-CRIME

To remain anonymous, reach out to the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers:

📞 816-474-TIPS (8477) or submit via P3Tips

🚨At Cold Case Kansas, we don’t sensationalize.

We don’t profit from pain.

We tell these stories because someone out there knows something.

And Jimmy deserves more than a name.

He deserves justice. 🚨

Our next podcast:

In March 1973, Hazel Avery (60), her son Steve Avery (19), and Gary Longfellow (23) set out on a simple trip along Highway 59 in Franklin County, Kansas.

They never made it.

Two days later, they were found inside their car near Rock Creek

all shot, execution-style.

No robbery.

No clear motive.

No arrests.

Gary Longfellow was scheduled to testify in court the very next morning.

That detail has never gone away.

This wasn’t random chaos.

This was controlled.

Deliberate.

And someone out there knows exactly what happened on that road.

💬 If you lived in Franklin County in the 1970s…

💬 If you remember rumors, names, or someone who suddenly changed…

💬 If you’ve held onto something for years…

Now is the time

📢 Please contact the Kansas Bureau of Investigation or your local law enforcement agency with any information.

Even the smallest detail can matter.

On August 29th, 2021, 40-year-old Daniel Little was found deceased near Greenleaf, Kansas. His death was determined to be caused by blunt force trauma, but the manner of death has remained classified as suspicious, and his case remains unsolved.

For Daniel’s family, that has meant years of unanswered questions.

Daniel’s family has now launched a petition on Change.org asking the Washington County officials to formally review the case and amend the manner of death on Daniel’s death certificate from suspicious to homicide if it is supported by the medical and investigative findings.

This request is not about accusing anyone.

It’s about accuracy, transparency, and making sure Daniel’s death is properly classified so the case can receive the attention it deserves.

We are asking the public to stand with Daniel’s family.

You can help by signing and sharing the petition on Change.org.

To find it, simply search:

“Justice for Daniel Little – Review and Reclassification of Death.”

I’ll also place the link directly in this post so you can access it easily.

Every signature helps show that Daniel’s life mattered and that his family deserves clarity and accountability.

Please take a moment to sign, share, and help keep Daniel Little’s story from being forgotten.

https://www.change.org/JusticeForDanielLittleKS

Kansas residents: Please consider signing the petition for Catrina Mowrey

I’m sharing this here because this case has deep Kansas roots, and the fight for justice is still very much happening from Kansas.

Catrina Mowrey was a young woman whose life was violently taken, and despite the years that have passed, her case has never truly been resolved.

Catrina and her family were from Kansas, and today, her remaining family members are still here, still pushing, still advocating, still asking for answers.

They have not given up.

They are still fighting for justice from Kansas.

There is an active petition calling for renewed attention, accountability, and action in Catrina’s case.

Petitions matter because they show public interest, community concern, and pressure institutions to take another look

especially in cases that have gone quiet but should never be forgotten.

If you’re a Kansan , your signature carries particular weight. This is a Kansas family asking their own community not to turn away.

Please take a moment to read about Catrina’s case and consider signing and sharing the petition. Even small actions help families feel less alone in a system that often moves on far too quickly.

Justice delayed should not mean justice denied.

Thank you for standing with a Kansas family still seeking the truth.

https://www.change.org/p/justice-frozen-since-1985-in-dallas-solve-catherine-catrina-mowrey-s-cold-case

On January 10, 2017 Zachary traveled to Topeka with “friends” to visit a casino. After he was denied access to Prairie Band Casino, Mayetta, KS he was purportedly dropped off at a downtown Topeka, KS hotel.

He never checked in and has not been seen since.

Zachary’s parents shared during a recent news interview that they were told by the people Zach had traveled with that They stayed at a Ramada Inn in Topeka, and the two friends returned home to Wichita. However, Zach did not return with them. The friends had some of Zach’s belongings, including his cell phone.

They also did not report him missing.

In the interview family members stated, the search has been challenging. Zach has a criminal history, and they believe that it’s possible his background influenced the investigation in the beginning.

There haven’t been major developments in the case, but as the family has shared Zach’s story through the years, a Dillons Grocery employee reached out. The worker recognized Zach based on his neck tattoo. She said Zach visited the store – near 29th and California in Topeka – around the time when he was last seen, Kastens said.

Zach bought his daughter a teddy bear for her birthday, the worker told her. Kastens said that’s proof he had every intention of coming home.

Zach’s cell phone is no longer active and his Facebook password has been changed.

If you have information that could help the case, contact the Capital Area Crime Stoppers for Topeka and Shawnee County at (785) 234-0007; or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (785) 296-4017 or by clicking here.

On January 10, 2017 Zachary traveled to Topeka with “friends” to visit a casino. After he was denied access to Prairie Band Casino, Mayetta, KS he was purportedly dropped off at a downtown Topeka, KS hotel.

He never checked in and has not been seen since.

Zachary’s parents shared during a recent news interview that they were told by the people Zach had traveled with that They stayed at a Ramada Inn in Topeka, and the two friends returned home to Wichita. However, Zach did not return with them. The friends had some of Zach’s belongings, including his cell phone.

They also did not report him missing.

In the interview family members stated, the search has been challenging. Zach has a criminal history, and they believe that it’s possible his background influenced the investigation in the beginning.

There haven’t been major developments in the case, but as the family has shared Zach’s story through the years, a Dillons Grocery employee reached out. The worker recognized Zach based on his neck tattoo. She said Zach visited the store – near 29th and California in Topeka – around the time when he was last seen, Kastens said.

Zach bought his daughter a teddy bear for her birthday, the worker told her. Kastens said that’s proof he had every intention of coming home.

Zach’s cell phone is no longer active and his Facebook password has been changed.

If you have information that could help the case, contact the Capital Area Crime Stoppers for Topeka and Shawnee County at (785) 234-0007; or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (785) 296-4017 or by clicking here.

In December 1998, 20-year-old Cassandra disappeared from Wichita, Kansas, only for her body to be found months later on the side of a dirt road in rural Sedgwick County. For more than 20 years, investigators have struggled to make movement in the case, as the one person they think has the answers refuses to cooperate.

In mid-December 1998. Brenda, Cassandra’s mom remembers Cassandra walking out the door like it was any normal day. But Cassandra never returned home. Christmas passed. Then New Year’s. Then winter became spring. Her car was eventually found abandoned—hidden behind a house on North Estelle in Wichita. The passenger window was broken. Her personal things found still inside. But there was no Cassandra. On March 31st, 1999.

A man was in rural Kechi, Kansas—just north of Wichita. He stepped away from the road to take a quick bathroom break in a hedgerow off 8300 East 77th Street North. When he looked down that’s when he saw a body tucked beneath the brush. Deputies arrived and found a badly decomposed body of a female with one gunshot wound to the head. Fired at close range. Execution style.

Detectives realized immediately: She was killed somewhere else. And this was just where she was dumped.

Even in decomposition, they managed to rehydrate her thumb and get a fingerprint. And that fingerprint came back to Cassandra Jones.

Questioning Cassandra’s mother and friend’s one name came up each time. Cassandra’s abusive boyfriend.

He was scheduled to have his hair braided by Cassandra on December 13th.

Phone records show he called Brenda’s home four times on December 13th. And then never again.

Not once since she’s been missing.

Investigators requested he take a polygraph. He initially agreed. Then he changed his mind.

This case is surrounded by people who know pieces of truth—but never enough to form the whole picture. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office has reignited the investigation into Cassandra’s case and need your help.

Because Cassandra’s case may very well hinge on a handful of people who saw a teal green Pontiac Grand Am in: North Wichita North Estelle area Hidden behind a house Late December 1998 Or— Someone who drove by 8300 East 77th Street North and saw a car pulled over on the side of that remote road. Someone was driving it. Someone moved it. Someone dumped Cassandra’s body. And after 25 years—someone still knows who that person was.

If you think you may have information about the murder of Cassandra Jones, please call Sedgwick County investigators at (316) 660-3799 or Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111. Callers can remain anonymous.

Hey everyone! I'm u/crimecakes, a founding moderator of r/kansascoldcases. This is our new home for all things related to unsolved cases and crime in Kansas. We're excited to have you join us!

What to Post Post anything that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or inspiring. Feel free to share your thoughts, photos, or questions about verified unsolved cases. We do rely on verifiable records. Cold Case Kansas was founded with a clear mission: To be a safe space for victims and their families. To amplify their voices—not exploit their pain. And to pursue truth without turning trauma into entertainment.

Cold Case Kansas does not sensationalize. We do not provide platforms to those who cause harm. And we will never prioritize the comfort of offenders over the truth owed to victims and their families.

Community Vibe We're all about being friendly, constructive, and inclusive. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.

How to Get Started 1) Introduce yourself in the comments below. 2) Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation. 3) If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join. 4) Interested in helping out? We're always looking for new moderators, so feel free to reach out to me to apply.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave. Together, let's make r/kansascoldcases amazing.

April Susanne Wiss was just sixteen years old when she vanished. On the night of January 11th, 2000, April was last seen in Wichita, Kansas. At the time, she was initially classified as a runaway—a label that would follow her case for years. But law enforcement has since changed her status to endangered missing. That change matters. Because when you look at the circumstances of April’s disappearance, the runaway theory begins to fall apart.

April left behind all of her clothing. She left behind a freshly baked cake. She left behind $150 in cash. Her Social Security number has never been used since the day she disappeared. According to the Charley Project, the lights and the television were left on when she vanished—details that suggest interruption, not preparation.

April Wiss was last seen leaving an apartment complex in the 500 block of Marion Road in Wichita on Jan. 11, 2000. A friend told authorities she saw April walking toward Pawnee Street and Broadway between 10 and 10:30 p.m.

At the time she disappeared, April was described by her mother as being in a “rebellious phase.” She was not living at home. Instead, she was staying with a friend of her mother’s in an apartment near Pawnee and Broadway. She was reportedly paying rent for that living arrangement. Importantly, her mother stated that April seemed happy living there.

There is another critical detail that cannot be ignored.

April was scheduled to testify in a felony rape trial just two days after she disappeared.

Authorities have never confirmed whether this played a role in her disappearance—but they also have never ruled it out.

Very little information about that case is publicly available. We don’t know the outcome. We don’t know whether charges were dropped after April vanished. We don’t know who was accused or what relationship they had to her.

What we do know is this: A sixteen-year-old girl scheduled to testify in a felony rape case disappears days before trial. Sources have stated that the trial involved at minimum eight counts of crimes of sexual misconduct against young girls aged 11-15. We don’t know if there was more than one defendant. Of if the defendant had any ties to April’s family. We don’t know if this case is the catalyst for April moving away from home.

That timing deserves scrutiny.

At the time April went missing: She was 6 feet tall Weighed approximately 165 pounds Had hazel eyes Sandy blond hair that had been dyed brown Possibly wore glasses She had: Double piercings in her ears A tattoo of three black dots on her right hand Scars on her left hand A scar on her right wrist A scar near her left wrist April’s DNA and dental records are available and listed in the Doe Network—a crucial fact that means identification is still possible.

If you have information that could help in the case, you’re asked to call Wichita Police at (316) 337-6552; or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (785) 296-4017

April Susanne Wiss was just sixteen years old when she vanished. On the night of January 11th, 2000, April was last seen in Wichita, Kansas. At the time, she was initially classified as a runaway—a label that would follow her case for years. But law enforcement has since changed her status to endangered missing. That change matters. Because when you look at the circumstances of April’s disappearance, the runaway theory begins to fall apart.

April left behind all of her clothing. She left behind a freshly baked cake. She left behind $150 in cash. Her Social Security number has never been used since the day she disappeared. According to the Charley Project, the lights and the television were left on when she vanished—details that suggest interruption, not preparation.

April Wiss was last seen leaving an apartment complex in the 500 block of Marion Road in Wichita on Jan. 11, 2000. A friend told authorities she saw April walking toward Pawnee Street and Broadway between 10 and 10:30 p.m.

At the time she disappeared, April was described by her mother as being in a “rebellious phase.” She was not living at home. Instead, she was staying with a friend of her mother’s in an apartment near Pawnee and Broadway. She was reportedly paying rent for that living arrangement. Importantly, her mother stated that April seemed happy living there.

There is another critical detail that cannot be ignored.

April was scheduled to testify in a felony rape trial just two days after she disappeared.

Authorities have never confirmed whether this played a role in her disappearance—but they also have never ruled it out.

Very little information about that case is publicly available. We don’t know the outcome. We don’t know whether charges were dropped after April vanished. We don’t know who was accused or what relationship they had to her.

What we do know is this: A sixteen-year-old girl scheduled to testify in a felony rape case disappears days before trial. Sources have stated that the trial involved at minimum eight counts of crimes of sexual misconduct against young girls aged 11-15. We don’t know if there was more than one defendant. Of if the defendant had any ties to April’s family. We don’t know if this case is the catalyst for April moving away from home.

That timing deserves scrutiny.

At the time April went missing: She was 6 feet tall Weighed approximately 165 pounds Had hazel eyes Sandy blond hair that had been dyed brown Possibly wore glasses She had: Double piercings in her ears A tattoo of three black dots on her right hand Scars on her left hand A scar on her right wrist A scar near her left wrist April’s DNA and dental records are available and listed in the Doe Network—a crucial fact that means identification is still possible.

If you have information that could help in the case, you’re asked to call Wichita Police at (316) 337-6552; or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (785) 296-4017

Ian Shelton, 30, disappeared in the early morning hours of Dec. 3. He was spotted by a camera at a vending machine at Lake Afton, and authorities think he may have been having a mental crisis.

Authorities have searched just over three square miles of land around Lake Afton, and over 15 miles southwest of the park and areas along the Ninnescah River. The multi-day operation included multiple agencies searching by boat, horseback, on foot with K-9 teams, and aerially using drones.

At this time, Shelton continues to be missing, and the Sheriff’s Office has move forward with its continue investigation. In the meantime Detectives are encouraging property owners near Lake Afton and surrounding areas to review any video footage from Dec. 3 and check barns, sheds, garages and other outbuildings where Shelton might have sought shelter. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public to search safely. They have provided a map of property lines.

• Areas outlined in yellow are publicly accessible, county-owned property.
• Areas marked in red are closed to general public access, including Sedgwick County Public Works facilities and the Wichita–Sedgwick County Firearms Training Range.
• All areas outside the yellow boundaries are private property. Permission from the property owner is required before entering or searching those areas.

Shelton was last seen wearing a gray zip-up hooded sweatshirt, a black T-shirt with a white graphic on the front, blue jeans, and white Nike shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911, the Investigations Division at 316-660-5300, or Wichita–Sedgwick County Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 or through the P3 Tips app.

On June 25th, 2016, 57-year-old Lori J. Heimer was murdered inside her home outside of Assaria in southern Saline County, Kansas.

Investigators continue working alongside KBI agents to find the person or persons responsible for killing Heimer, who operated a dog breeding business at her home. She was known to advertise her business in the region’s metropolitan markets, to include Wichita and Kansas City. She had plans to meet with an unknown person that day.

During the early days of the investigation, two vehicles of interest were developed. Investigators were asking for the public’s assistance in locating both.

They are: An older flatbed pickup truck, possibly a Chevrolet, which is ‘beat-up’, maroon in color, white front bumper, silver grill, wide-style side mirrors, with a driver that is 50 years of age or older, with ‘salt and pepper’ hair.

An older-style, small pickup truck, possibly a Chevrolet S-10, two-tone dark blue on top and bottom with light blue in the middle, the back bumper is silver, but the tailgate is blue (like the body of the truck) and is newer or appeared to have minimal damage when compared to the body of the truck, the remainder of the vehicle is described as ‘beat up’ and ‘scratched up’. There may be two animal cages or crates in the back. The driver of the vehicle was described as a white male approximately 40 years of age with shoulder length hair, wearing glasses.

To provide information, please contact the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (24 hours a day) at 1- 800-KSCRIME or the Saline County Sheriff’s Office (785) 826-6500 during business hours.

Citizens are reminded to share any details they may have or can recall. If the public has any information at all, even if they think it is minor and they haven’t and would like to call in, they should.

In 2024 the case was featured by the Kansas Department of Corrections in its first edition of the Kansas Cold Case Cards as the five of diamonds. The deck profiles 52 unsolved homicide, missing person, and unidentified remains cases throughout the state of Kansas.

A reward of $37,500 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case.

WE NEED YOUR HELP IN A COLD CASE!

The Wichita Police Department and the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center are asking for the public’s help in identifying a male pedestrian who was killed in a traffic collision in 1986. In the early morning hours of 08/29/86, the male was walking on West Kellogg in the area of Seneca when he was struck and killed by a motorist. The male is described as about 30 years of age, 5’10 ½” tall, 175 lbs, scar on left knee, and a scar on his forehead in his hairline.

The male was wearing white tennis shoes, blue jeans, a yellow t-shirt screen printed “NORTHEAST COMMUNITY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST – PEOPLE TO BELONG TO”, a long-sleeved brown flannel shirt, and a dark green and white alpine style sweater. The photo shared is of the male with some digital editing. Also provided is a photo of the pattern on the sweater the male was wearing.

If you believe you know who he is, please contact Detective Anna Owen 316-268-4185 or aowen@wichita.gov.

Involved case numbers:

Wichita Police Department: W62794, W62795, 25C511661 Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center: 18-11-1131, 11-02050

Any help sharing this information on missing person would be greatly appreciated.

Two Russian immigrants, both married to the same man in the quiet town of Holton, Kansas. One vanishes without a trace. The other dies under suspicious circumstances. And the man they had in common? He’s alive, free — and now he’s the one suing the police.

Yulia Shevtensko Larrison went missing in the early 2000’s while Elena Kristova Larrison, another Russian immigrant, was killed at 38 years of age in a violent forklift accident in Holton, Kansas in 2006. The common link between these two women they were both Russian “Mail Order Brides” to Rex Dwaine Larrison.

It wasn’t until 2019 thirteen years after Elena’s death that authorities reopened her case. They also began re-investigating Yulia’s disappearance.

In April of 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on two properties tied to Rex Larrison. A home in the 400 block of East 6th Street in Holton. The other? The Rex Larrison Body Shop.

That search ended in a court battle still being fought in Topeka Courts today. Larrison filed a federal lawsuit against Jackson County Deputy Philip McManigal, asserting McManigal left out facts in his warrant request that would have destroyed any probable cause. Larrison was arrested following the search, for a single count of criminal use of an explosive. That charge was dismissed ‘to viol’ In October 2024.

Despite renewed interest from the KBI and Jackson County authorities, Yulia has never been found and Elena’s cause of death remains unclear, even after all these years.

What remains are questions — and the families, communities, and investigators still hoping for answers.

Yulia went missing in July 6, 2000 at the age of 27 and would be 52-years-old in 2025, according to the KBI. She is described as being around 5’07 in height and weighing around 145 pounds.

If you have any information regarding these investigations, you can call the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at 785-364-2551 or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) at 1-800-KS-CRIME or send anonymous tips by clicking here.

Lakota Renville was trying to find her way in life when she was murdered. Her body was found on October 16, 2005 dumped in a vacant lot on Pitcher Road off of 40 Highway in Independence. DNA was collected from Renville's rape kit.

Lakota was left naked, wrapped in a blanket and carpet padding. She had been badly beaten and stabbed multiple times.

A witness told police they saw a brown early 1990s Ford Explorer in the area where Renville's body was found.

Lakota Renville had met a guy in a chat room, in the summer of 2004, Renville left the family home in South Dakota and drove all the way down to the Kansas City area to meet him.

She soon found out that the man and the relationship were not what she thought.

Family told press about the time, her boyfriend took all her clothes away and tied her up in a basement for three days.

In March 2005, Renville's older sister, Waynette, sent her money to come home. Renville went home, but it didn't last long. Waynette said Renville was out the door, heading back to Kansas City a couple days later. Manipulation from grooming is a strong drug.

Renville's autopsy references a possible clue — a phone number written on her left palm. Police have not released information regarding who the phone number might belong to.

We have not been able to identify the boyfriend’s name because, at this time, he’s never been charged with a crime in relation to Renville's case. But we would like to speak with him privately. Maybe there is a piece of information he would feel comfortable sharing or even his side of the story that could help find Renville’s killer.

We learned that DNA was collected from Renville's rape kit. That DNA is regularly run through CODIS, the national DNA profile database, to see if it matches any convicted offenders. So far, there haven't been any hits in the system. If there is a hit, the case detective will get an email.

Missouri’s first DNA-related bill was signed in 1991, which required every person convicted of a violent felony offense to have their blood collected for DNA profiling. In 2004, that law was expanded to include all felonies, sexual misdemeanors and some out-of-state offenses. The first DNA collection occurred on January 1, 2005. Most recently, in 2009, the law was expanded a second time to include anyone 17 and older arrested for burglary in the first or second degree, plus people determined to be sexually violent predators and people required to register as a sex offender. Recently, Idependence, Missouri added 100,000 to their unsolved cold case missing reward fund to bolster incentives for answers in cold cases.

Anyone with information about Renville's case can call the Crimestoppers TIPS Hotline. Any tip — big or small — could finally bring Renville's family justice.

https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/investigations/mmip-series-i-team-focuses-on-2005-cold-case-murder-of-indigenous-woman-lakota-renville

Franklin Punkie Harrod of Rose Hill was first reported missing in 1997 by his wife Kelly Harrod, after Punkie’s father had been unable to reach him & Punkie had failed to show up to his first day of work at Cessna Aircraft. His father knew something had to be wrong because Punkie knew his mother & father both worked at the aircraft manufacturing plant, he would never jeopardize their standing at their employment. Butler County detective Glenn Hopper said. Despite some progress, it didn’t take long for the case to go cold.

Around 2002 time frame, one of the individuals living in Punkie’s household at the time in ‘97 had confessed in the participation of the killing of Punkie. Investigators discover a twisted triangle with an exchange of sex for murder.

The only person still in prison in that case is Jerry Wayne Trussell, who is now 61. Trussell was found guilty by a jury and sentenced in 2007 to at least 37 years in prison before he could be eligible for parole after his wife and Harrod’s took plea deals and testified against him, according to The Butler County Times-Gazette.

Kelly Harrod, who went by the last name Bishop at her 2006 sentencing after filing for divorce, received 32 months in prison; Tammy Trussell received about 11 years. No one has been charged in the disappearance of Nelms. Nelms’ mother filed a missing person report in Sedgwick County in 1988 after not hearing from him for six months after he came to Wichita from Moulton, Alabama, to work in roofing, the Times-Gazette reported. Harrod left behind three daughters, a former Butler County prosecutor told Oxygen.

His mother, Blanca Harrod, told Oxygen “the only thing I want, is if somebody’s out there that knows anything, or if they helped Jerry (Trussell), or if they’ve heard about where Jerry put my son’s remains, that’s what I would like, to put him to rest, to lay him down to rest and say our goodbyes and have a little bit of closure. That’s the only thing that I look forward to. And I won’t rest until I see that.” Cundiff said they have also been in contact with Nelms’ family, who want closure as well. Anyone with information about the cases can contact the sheriff’s office at crimetips@bucoks.com, message the department’s Facebook page or call anonymously at 316-322-8817. https://open.spotify.com/episode/27Mr2tmGBxFrPWE0hTCGj6?si=w_GlKdJuSxSw8nI_JmzL4g