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Dante Wachtler's homicide remains unsolved one year later

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Dante Wachtler was far from home when he was shot and killed one year ago.

His mother, Toni Priore, who traveled from California last year to claim his body and see the place where Wachtler drew his last breath, still wants answers about what happened.

"I want them to put themselves in the place of families like mine who don't have answers and need them," Priore said. "We really need them. It's hard not knowing what happened to my son."

Wachtler, 25, was shot and killed around 4:30 a.m. on Aug. 19, 2018. He had purchased a Greyhound bus ticket home and was found a couple blocks fro the station.

It's still unclear why Wachtler wandered away from the station and whether he was just wasting time before his bus left.

Priore said he didn't know the city at all and had been staying with a friend near St. Joseph for a couple weeks, hoping to find work as a chef.

It's also unclear if police have received any tips regarding Wachtler's death. The only information Kansas City, Missouri, police released last year was that they were searching for a silver or gold four-door car seen leaving the area where Wachtler was killed.

"I want people to realize that his family still hurts," Priore said. "We miss him tremendously. Not a day goes by where I don't cry because I miss him so much. Other families are going through this too, and it's not right. We shouldn't be burying our children."

There is a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Wachtler's death. Anyone with information should call the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).