TOPEKA (KSNT) – Topeka has recorded the deadliest year in recent history, with 35 homicides in 2023. That’s compared to 18 homicides in all of 2022. The previous record was 2017, which saw 30 homicides.
KSNT 27 News has detailed the 2023 killings below, starting with the most recent first.
No. 35 - Police found Tammie Hanson, 59, dead in the 600 block of 14th. Police believe the killing happened Dec. 28, the body was located several days later on Jan. 2, 2024. Police arrested Jordan Taylor for murder and robbery. Police said a different person they first arrested for the murder was released and is no longer considered a suspect.
No. 34 - Prosecutors filed a murder charge against Steven Hunter, Jr., in the death of 45-year-old Jennifer Eisele. Police said they found Eisele shot to death on Dec. 22 in the 600 block of Fillmore, which is located in downtown Topeka, west of Sixth and Topeka. Prosecutors said the two were in a romantic relationship.
No. 33 - Police arrested Michael Lester, 38, of Topeka, for the hit-and-run death of Alycia Noriega, 33, of Topeka. Noriega was killed Oct. 30 at St John and Tyler, west of Topeka Boulevard, in north Topeka. Lester was arrested for multiple crimes, including first-degree murder.
No. 32 - Topeka Police said two people were shot in an Oct. 20 shooting in the 1600 block of Fillmore, located near 17th and Topeka in central Topeka. Trevon Praylow, 35, of Topeka, was killed. The second victim had minor injuries. No arrests have been announced.
No. 31 - Prosecutors filed a second-degree murder charge against Aaron Serrano for the Oct. 15 death of Jackson Danner, 23. They also arrested Tremale Serrano, 29, of Topeka. Danner was found lying in the front yard of his home near 21st and Washburn in south Topeka. Prosecutors said there were signs of alcohol, drugs and a gathering prior to the death. Danner graduated from Holton High School in 2018.
No. 30 - Prosecutors charged Mariann Belair, 24, of Topeka, with killing her 4-year-old daughter, Lawrencia Perez-Belair, 4, of Topeka. Police said the girl was shot to death Oct. 14 in the 400 block of Grattan, north of Seward in Oakland. The mother is charged with felony murder, aggravated endangering of a child and distribution of methamphetamine.
No. 29 - Police are investigating a shooting that left a 17-year-old girl dead. Police said the girl, Damayah Calhoun, was killed Oct. 13 in the 600 block of Lawrence, which is west of Sixth and California in east Topeka.
No. 28 - Police arrested Reginald Rucker-Plakio, 17, in connection to the death of Ra'Juan Spicer, 18. Spicer was shot and killed Oct. 11 near the intersection of 12th and Clay, which is northeast of Huntoon and Washburn in central Topeka.
No. 27 - Prosecutors have charged three 17-year-old boys for the Oct. 10 killing of 17-year-old Victor Carlton, of Topeka. Police found Carlson shot to death in the 2000 block of Pennsylvania, northeast of 21st and Adams in southeast Topeka.
No. 26 - Prosecutors have filed a capital murder charge against Mickel Cherry, 25, in the death of 5-year-old Zoey Felix, of Topeka. Cherry, who is homeless, is also accused of raping the girl. On Oct. 2, Topeka Police were called to the Dillons gas station at 29th and California in southeast Topeka, where first responders were trying to save Felix's life. She later died at the hospital. Former neighbors said Cherry and Felix were living in a homeless camp together across the street from the gas station, along with the girl's father and sister.
No. 25 - Prosecutors have charged Jacorey Porter, 23, for the Sept. 28 murder of Jeremy Palmer, 44. Police said Palmer died after a shooting near 37th and Burlingame in south Topeka.
No. 24 - Prosecutors have charged David Jackson with murder in the Sept. 25 shooting death of Durant Redmond, 39. Police said he was shot in the 2200 block of Plass, near 21st and MacVicar in south Topeka. Police said the Topeka man died two days later.
No. 23 - Prosecutors are determining whether to file charges in the Sept. 7 shooting of Hevair Loucious, 31, of Topeka. One person was taken into custody following the shooting in the 3300 block of Emerson, near 37th and Adams in southeast Topeka, but later released.
No. 22 - Police said two people died in an Aug. 15 murder-suicide shooting in south Topeka. Officers found Kiarra Hazelton, 24, and Dontae Knight, 31, shot and unresponsive in the 2100 block of Plass, east of 21st and MacVicar. Knight's obituary indicates the two were dating.
No. 21 - Prosecutors charged Stephanie Miller, 43, for stabbing Lois Brown, 92, to death. The murder happened Aug. 13 outside Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the Topeka women had been at church. Police found Brown dead in her truck outside the church, which is located at 26th and Ohio, between Adams and Indiana in southeast Topeka, police said. Witnesses told police the stabbing happened after Miller asked Brown for money.
No. 20 - Prosecutors are determining whether to file charges in the death of 2-month-old Alonzoe Smith. Police said he was shot July 14 at an apartment complex in the 1000 block of Mulvane, near 10th and Washburn in central Topeka.
No. 19 - A gunman killed Xavion Phannix, 20, in a June 29 triple shooting in the 2600 block of Gilmore Ct., near I-70 and California in east Topeka, police said. Three people were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds; Phannix died. No arrests have been made.
No. 18 -Police found Anthony Marshall III, 30, dead from a gunshot wound on June 18, in the 4100 block of Twilight, northeast of Gage and I-470 in southwest Topeka. Police said they have identified the shooter and submitted the Father's Day killing to prosecutors, to determine if charges will be filed.
No. 17 - Prosecutors said Brandon Drew, 39, was walking in the road when someone pulled up and shot him May 15 in south Topeka. The shooting was reported in the 3500 block of Kerry, near 37th and Topeka. Drew, of Topeka, died at a local hospital. Sydney Slaughter, 32, of Kansas City, was taken into custody in relation to this shooting on Sept. 12. Prosecutors charged him with murder later in the week.
No. 16 - Prosecutors determined the April 26 killing of Semaj Jackson, 26, of Topeka, was self-defense. Police said Jackson died at a hospital after he was shot in the 2000 block of SW Clay in central Topeka, east of Washburn University.
No. 15 - Prosecutors filed a premeditated first-degree murder charge against Daniel Gallow, 24, of Topeka, for the April 18 shooting death of Troy Shepard, 55, of Topeka. The killing happened in the 900 block of SW 17th, which is located between Washburn Avenue and Topeka Boulevard in central Topeka.
No. 14 - Prosecutors charged Christopher Brown, 36, of Topeka with murder for the April 17 shooting and killing of Sherman Coleman, Jr., 33, of Topeka. The killing happened in the 2300 block of Bellview, near 10th and California in east Topeka.
No. 13 - Aaron Mathis, Jr., 16, died at a hospital as the result of an April 7 shooting in the 3500 block of Kerry, near 37th and Topeka in south Topeka. Police said they are "working on a case to send to (prosecutors) for charging consideration."
No. 12 – Deaundreya Caraway, 38, Caraway was shot to death on March 26 at 1520 SE Quincy, near 17th and Kansas in central Topeka. Prosecutors said the shooting was self-defense and charges were not filed.
No. 11 – Prosecutors charged a 14-year-old boy with reckless second-degree murder for the March 16 killing of Kaleb Lane, 13. Lane was shot in an accidental shooting at 1312 Garfield, located near Huntoon and Washburn in central Topeka. Lane died at the hospital after the shooting, which occurred during Spring Break, making him the second Topeka Public Schools student to be killed this year. Prosecutors have not released the name of the juvenile suspect.
No. 10 – Police arrested two juveniles for killing Khristopher Brown, 19, in the 1000 block of Locust, near 10th and California. Brown was found shot to death after a March 14 hit-and-run incident was reported in east Topeka. Police announced on June 29 they had arrested a 17-year-old for murder and distribution of marijuana within 1000 feet of a school. Prosecutors later said a second suspect was also arrested for murder and marijuana distribution.
No. 9 – Police found Rodney Clayton, 57, stabbed to death on March 6 at Third and Harrison in downtown Topeka. Serena Sanchez, 26, was arrested for his death. Prosecutors have charged her with intentional second-degree murder.
No. 8 – Prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to bring charges against the 33-year-old man who killed Gregorio Castillo, 68, He died after a Feb. 15 road rage incident at the westbound exit of I-70 and MacVicar in west Topeka. Castillo's family said he died at a hospital from the injuries he received from a fight. A GoFundMe has been set up for Castillo.
No. 7 – Michael Comp, 40, was killed in a Jan. 31 shooting in southeast Topeka after someone shot at the tow truck he was driving. A February 2024 jury trial is scheduled for Wesley Rayton, Sr., 47. He is charged with first-degree murder for the shooting in the 900 block of SE 34th, just east of Adams.
No. 6 – Police found Jason Neal, 48, with multiple gunshot wounds at a Topeka apartment complex, 405 SW Tyler, in downtown Topeka. Prosecutors charged Skyler Wilson, 33, with intentional and premeditated first-degree murder for the Jan. 28 killing. One witness told police he was acting erratically the day of the shooting and was “threatening to kill his family,” according to court documents. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family's funeral expenses.
No. 3, 4, 5 - Genny Fitzpatrick, 30, and her two daughters, Kourtney, 1, and Peyton, 9, were killed in a west Topeka house fire on Jan. 20. Fitzpatrick worked at McDonald's, Peyton was a fourth-grade student at Lowman Hill Elementary in the Topeka Public School District. Police arrested the father of the children, Kyle Tyler, 32. Prosecutors charged him with three counts of first-degree murder; a jury trial is scheduled for January 2024. Investigators said he set the living room and basem*nt of the home on fire. The home is located at 916 Warren, east of Gage Park. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family’s funeral expenses.
No. 2 – Police found Shawn “Heavy” Carter, 45 shot to death in a Jan. 8 shooting at 1316 SE Madison in southeast Topeka near the Adams exit of I-70. Detectives are seeking leads in the case.
No. 1 – Jackson Tilton, 1, died in a Topeka hospital after the report of a Jan. 4 child abuse case. Police said it happened in the 500 block of Grattan in Oakland. Prosecutors charged Dustin Kelley, who was known to the victim, with first-degree murder and child abuse. A GoFundMe has been set up by the boy’s father.
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