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Kansas Cold Cases

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Kansas Murders

Various law enforcement and investigating agencies’ websites provide reports and data on the number of murders in Kansas by year. Every year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation issues a Uniform Crime Report that details the types of crimes, crime levels, and locations where crimes are committed in each and every state, including information for most, if not all, cities and counties in each state. Aside from the FBI, you can find detailed reports on the websites of both local and state law enforcement agencies based in Kansas, as well as Project: Cold Case, which has an entire page on their website dedicated to sharing unsolved homicide statistics in every state in the United States.

According to Project: Cold Case, there were approximately 5,643 homicides from 1980 to 2019 in Kansas. Roughly 3,678 of those homicides were solved throughout the years, sadly leaving approximately 1,965 unsolved murders in Kansas today. Project: Cold Case is also home to a database filled with almost 25,000 unsolved homicides, which you can also find on various other law enforcement websites. A few of the many unsolved murders in northern Kansas include the 2003 murder of Carol Jean Fleming, the 2009 murder of Gary Leo Nelson, the 1977 murder of Sandra Jane Kennis, and the 2008 murder of Nicole Jean Hoard, along with others. Also included in the lists of cold cases on various law enforcement and investigating agencies’ websites are some unsolved central Kansas murders, which include the 1977 murder of Thomas Young, the 2001 murder of Leslie Johnson, the 1990 murder of Nelson Louis Jones, and the 1995 murder of Gina Bridget Cyphers, along with many others.

In addition to those mentioned above, unsolved murders in Topeka, Kansas, can also be found included in the lists of cold cases in Kansas. These include the 2012 murder of Quan Donnell, the 1996 murder of Michelle Hutchinson, the 2013 murder of Juan Solis, and the 2016 murder of Robert Williams, among countless others. Finally, unsolved murders in Shawnee County, Kansas, can be found among these lists. Some of these include the 2000 murder of Raymond Aguirre, the 2008 murder of David Wakes, the 2009 murder of Jeremy Fabricius, and the 2016 murder of Deljuan Patton, among many others.

Unsolved Kansas Murders

According to data from Project: Cold Case, there are currently approximately 1,965 unsolved murders in Kansas. Many local and county law enforcement websites have shared information regarding many unsolved murders in Kansas and shared them within many different Facebook groups.

Among the many unsolved murders in northern Kansas listed on various law enforcement websites, some include the 2003 murder of Carol Jean Fleming, the 2009 murder of Gary Leo Nelson, the 1977 murder of Sandra Jane Kennis, and the 2008 murder of Nicole Jean Hoard, among many others. There are also unsolved murders Topeka, Kansas, including the 2012 murder of Quan Donnell, the 1996 murder of Michelle Hutchinson, the 2013 murder of Juan Solis, and the 2016 murder of Robert Williams, and many others.

In addition, other Kansas cold cases which are included on these websites and in databases are the many unsolved murders in eastern Kansas. These include: the 2004 murder of Alonzo Brooks, the 1983 murder of Linda Lou Struble, the 1987 murder of Rhonda Fisher, the 1994 murder of Bryan Keith Sanchez, and the 1973 triple murder of Hazel Avery, Steven Avery, and Gary Longfellow, as well as many others.


Joseph Smedley
Joseph SmedleySuspicious Death, 2015
Asha Degree
Asha DegreeMissing, 2000

Consider this

More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. With equity for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underserved victims not prioritized in the true crime community—together we can do better.

Famous Kansas Murders

When you try to think of famous Kansas murders, you may not immediately have any names that come to mind. Most, if not all, of the names listed on the various lists of murders in Kansas found on several law enforcement and investigating agencies’ websites may seem unfamiliar; however, a few of those listed within the list of all murders in Kansas, list of Kansas murders, or within lists of notorious Kansas criminals have seemingly become household names. Some of the most infamous Kansas murders, which remain unresolved, include the 2004 murder of Alonzo Brooks and the 1997 murder of Jodie Bordeaux, among many other Kansas famous murders.


Homicide Rate in Kansas

According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report (UCR) published in 2019, the violent crime rate in Kansas is approximately 410.8 per 100,000 residents. In summary, in 2019 alone, nearly 411 out of every 100,000 Kansas residents were directly impacted by violent crime, which includes homicide, sexual assault, rape, burglary, and assault. According to the same published report, the 2019 homicide rate in Kansas was approximately 3.6 per 100,000 people living in Kansas. In short, this means that nearly 4 out of every 100,000 Kansas residents were murdered in 2019.

Kansas’ capital city, Topeka, is currently the largest city in Kansas, boasting a population of over 124,000 inhabitants as of this year. According to various sources, the 2018 violent crime rate in Topeka, Kansas, was approximately 606.02 per 100,000 inhabitants, and the 2018 murder rate in Topeka, Kansas, was roughly 11.08 per 100,000 residents. Although it is impossible to know how many murders in Topeka, Kansas, 2021, or how many murders in Kansas in 2021 as of yet, we do know that according to archived crime statistic reports, the homicide rates of both seem to be slowly rising year after year.


Shawnee County Murders

Currently, Shawnee County, Kansas, has a population of more than 176,000 people, making it the third most populous county in the state. Although we don’t know how many Shawnee County murders have been committed in recent years, the number of homicides in Shawnee County appears to be increasing each year.

In most homicide cases, detectives are typically able to gather enough Shawnee County murders evidence to arrest and charge their suspected perpetrator with the crime and bring them to Shawnee County murders trial. The types of evidence that are often included in Shawnee County homicide trials is almost always entirely dependent on the crime itself. Examples of evidence that are most often used in a homicide trial can include DNA evidence such as blood, saliva, or semen, as well as other types of evidence, including fingerprints, weapons, and cell phone pings. Arguably the most common pieces of evidence that are included in a murder trial are Shawnee County murders crime scene photos, which are shown during the trial in order to demonstrate to the judge and jurors the prosecution’s thoughts on why or how the crime was committed, by showing the crime scene’s surroundings and any items of evidence located in the general area.


Topeka, Kansas Murders

Due to its large size and population, Topeka, Kansas, murders appear to be more common than those in many other cities in Kansas. Most of the recent and decades-old murders in Topeka, Kansas, have been solved, and as expected, investigators continue to look into the remaining unsolved murders with every resource that is available to them. As you may expect, Topeka murders discussion will continue to focus on the many unsolved murders in Kansas on social media websites such as Websleuths, Reddit, and Facebook, among others. These social media platforms are home to conversations full of speculation and the sharing of information, most commonly about Topeka murders pictures, Topeka murders crime scene photos, and even Topeka, Kansas, murders autopsy photos, which are almost never released by police to the general public, even once a case has been solved.

In the past few years, game-changing advancements in DNA technology have solved hundreds or even thousands of cold cases, and Kansas, of course, is no exception. Some of the many cases in which Topeka murders DNA, as well as DNA collected from the scenes of other crimes in various parts of Kansas, has been used to solve, or at least bring in new information to cold cases, include the 1989 murder of Fawn Cox and the 1985 murder of Gary Watson, as well as the identification of a Jane Doe as Shawna Beth Garber.


Kansas Serial Killers

Throughout history, there have been many more Kansas killers than you may expect. The most famous Kansas serial killers may be identified on any top ten, or other form of serial killer list, such as list of serial killers in Kansas or Kansas serial killer list. Some of the well-known Kansas serial killers who are most commonly found on these lists include Dennis Lynn Rader, also known as “The BTK Killer,” who killed 10 people from 1974-1991; John Edward Robinson, Sr., also known as the “Internet Slavemaster,” who killed 8 women from 1984-2000; and Cecil Henry Floyd, who killed at least 6 people from 1973-1974, with his crimes ranging from Kansas to Nebraska to Indiana to Florida.


Crimes in Kansas

If you want to know the statistics and data related to crimes in Kansas, several law enforcement and investigating agencies publish yearly reports showing crime in the area which can be found on various websites. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also publishes a Uniform Crime Report (UCR) year after year, detailing crimes, crimes data and statistics, and crime locations in most, if not all, counties and cities in each state, including Kansas.

Unfortunately, the number of Kansas homicide and true crime stories in Kansas seems endless. According to Project: Cold Case, there were approximately 5,643 murders in Kansas between 1980 and 2019. As time passed, roughly 3,678 of those murders were solved, leaving approximately 1,965 unsolved murders in Kansas. Nonetheless, Kansas’ multiple law enforcement and investigating agencies will absolutely not give up in their mission to solve all of Kansas’ true crimes, no matter how long it takes them.

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Additional Kansas Cold Cases

Alonzo BrooksRandy LeachKrista Martin Gayle SorensenMegan FoglesongRobert LinnemanJoseph KempterSarah Jo DeLeonSophia MobleyVeronica MaxvilleJeremy CootsLisa StasiDennis Lushbough Jr.Karol SullensAdam HerrmanAdam Joseph HerrmanElizabeth RogersColton BarreraBeverly WardMargaret TigheMichael AycockJack MillerJeffrey AndesZachary AndersonKathryn AdamMichell Calderon LimasStanley GalbreathKaren HurstTabitha BrewerJoseph CollinsJordan HarrisJackie HayEugene Branton JrCatherine ClampittChristopher ClarkDetreck FosterBaby Female ArnoldFrederick IwertJohn Krafft IiiCharles Mansker JrWillard MarksMatthew MooneyLivingstone NjorogeKendra NystromAlexander PerezOscar RamirezDonald SagerAnthony SinisgalliMarjorie TuckerEddie WalkerDonald WaltersStephanie WelchApril WissLarry WoodsMichael ZapletalEdhem AbuhamdaJannah AbuhamdaJennifer LancasterSidney SmithMonique SmithJaquilla ScalesGregory McGovern JrJennifer WilsonCole FirestinePaula GodfreyJay FlekierLisa McKinneyBernard MulanaxKeonna BoydJesus Quinones FloresLori FreitasRachel PrattGlenna BullardAlexis DillardRoss CraneTheresa BrownJoan ButlerChristine RuschAngela GreenDaniel FaggDonald GoodmanMary LangSteven HedgersCharles McHenry IIIElvin CristEugene HockenbargerAlex HeadRosa Ruiz-RamirezNori JenkinsKim CardinGinger HudsonMichael WeaverManouchehr NafarVivian BotzJack ShultzFranklin Harrod, Jr.Stephen HammerleNidia BalderramaStar HurtieNancy Arita-SalazarKatelin CaddellAlex LaRussaRandy AgardKarl LarsenFloreanne MayfieldJohn SwortwoodTony EppsJehad AbuhamdaWilliam ChapmanRonda KuschellJay ShumateGale KeilmanAndreas MartsMary Lou BlackBillie BlackVictor Chavez