About 700 white placards stretched across the grass Sunday as families and volunteers gathered for Corey's Network's 14th annual vigil, turning a quiet patch of lawn into a stark roll call of unsolved homicide cases across the Kansas City metro. The ceremony, held despite a heat advisory that might have emptied most parks, served as both memorial and public pressure campaign, with organizers hoping that one tip could finally break a cold case. Many in attendance were relatives who keep their loved ones' photos visible year-round and say the city still lives with far too many unanswered killings.
Why the Vigil Matters
Corey's Network, launched after the 2013 stabbing death of Corey Laykovich, holds the vigil every July to keep the names on those placards from slipping out of public view. As reported by KSHB 41, this year marked the nonprofit's 14th ceremony, and families braved the heat to put up the display anyway. According to Corey's Network, the gathering was also the first in-person vigil since co-founder Robert "Bob" Norris Sr. died in October 2025, adding another layer of emotion to an already heavy evening. According to the FBI, "Murder and non-negligent manslaughter decreased an estimated 18.1%" (FBI press release, May 13, 2026).
Families Push for Answers
For families, the vigil is part remembrance, part rally, and very much a plea. Randy Hill, who has plastered his son Dylan's photo on billboards around the metro, used the event to once again push for answers. "It's a never ending nightmare, somebody knows every one of these. I'll guarantee you, if someone will just talk," he told KSHB 41. Dylan was found shot in a truck near East 80th Terrace and James A. Reed Road in December 2018, and The Kansas City Star has chronicled the family's billboard and postcard campaign aimed at keeping his case in the public eye. The KSHB 41 report notes there is an up-to-$30,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in Hill's case.
How to Submit Tips
Anyone with information can call the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477), send a tip through the group's website, or use the free P3Tips mobile app, according to the program. Greater KC Crime Stoppers says tipsters can stay anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward if their information helps lead to an arrest. Organizers at the vigil stressed that anonymous leads are often what nudge detectives forward and keep cold cases circulating in the public mind instead of gathering dust. City police publish a "Daily Homicide Analysis" and crime dashboards on the Kansas City Missouri Police Department website, according to kcpolice.org. KCPD crime data for 2024 is publicly available on the city's Open Data KC portal (data.kcmo.org), according to the site.
Organizers Say They Won't Let Memories Fade
Corey's Network, founded by Michelle "Shelley" and Robert "Bob" Norris after their son Corey Laykovich's 2013 killing, offers advocacy, counseling referrals and funeral assistance while tracking unsolved homicides around the metro. The group's records list roughly 695 unsolved cases dating back to 1970, according to the organization's website. Organizers often point to Corey's case, which resulted in charges and a guilty plea years after the killing, as proof that persistent public attention can help lead to arrests, a message echoed in a press release from the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office. According to KCTV, Kansas City police reported a "93% clearance rate for homicide cases so far this year, far exceeding the national average of 61%" (KCTV, Apr 2, 2026).
