KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It has been over six years since someone killed Danielle Wilson and dumped her body in an alleyway off E 29th St. and Myrtle Avenue. Police have some clues in her case, but not enough to bring the killer to justice.
"It’s really been hard for my family since my mama's been gone these past six years, it’s hard to go on about our day. Holidays is really hard for us," Amari Church, Wilson's daughter, said.
Church said there's not a day goes by that she and her eight siblings don't think about the birthdays and other milestones their mother can't celebrate with them.
On Aug. 14, 2015, a man mowing grass discovered the body of 36-year-old Wilson, who had been beaten and shot.
"It's just so hard for us to grasp the thing that has happened to her and the fashion that it happened to her," Michael Wilson, Danielle’s father, said during a news conference Thursday morning.
Wilson grew up in Higginsville and later in life moved to Kansas City, where she worked jobs in retail and healthcare.
She battled addiction as a young woman, but her mother said she was in the midst of turning a corner.
"I think when she was trying to tie those loose ends up, I think she just didn't know how to do it at that time. And the way that she did it, it wasn't the right way," Wilson's mother, Mildred Wilson, said.
According to KCPD, every year dozens of cases go unsolved, but those are worked extensively by detectives — following up all leads and examining every piece of evidence.
Generally, after a five year period with no new leads, a case is reviewed one more time by the detective assigned to it before it gets labeled a “cold case."
"Time helps people feel more comfortable about coming forward with that information," KCPD Detective Daniel Frazier said. "People change, this is six years ago, maybe someone had information that didn't want to come forward at that time."
Wilson's case is still with Detective Frazier, but is in danger of going cold without a new lead or tip.
"We want to hear about Danielle Wilson's day-to-day activities leading up to her death," Frazier said. "I want to hear about and so that I can go through that with the knowledge of the investigation."
Wilson's family is speaking out before the case goes cold.
"What we want is closure in this case and allow her to rest in peace," Michael Wilson said.
If you have any information, you're asked to call Detective Frazier at 816-234-5043 or the KC Crime Stoppers Hotline where you'll remain anonymous and can get a cash reward 816-474-TIPS (8477).
—
For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
