On a December evening in 2021, just four days before Christmas, Roman Jesus Yslas, a 46-year-old White / Caucasian male, finished dinner with his family in their Kansas City, Missouri, apartment. Shortly after, he took the family dog out for a walk in the parking lot of the Barrewoods Apartments in the Northland area. It was during this brief outing that his life was tragically cut short.
His fiancée, Shell Campbell, was inside their apartment when the sound of gunshots pierced the
night air. Her daughters initially thought the sounds were fireworks. When Campbell opened the door and called out for Yslas with no reply, a sense of dread began to set in. Responding to calls from neighbors who also heard the shots, Kansas City police arrived at the 8700 block of North Kansas Place just after 12:30 a.m. on December 21st. They discovered Yslas in the parking lot, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene. One neighbor reported seeing shots fired from a car, which then sped away, only to return and fire more shots before leaving again.
Roman Yslas was a father to eight children and the sole provider for his family. Described as a kind and giving man who would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need, his sudden death left his family and community in shock. He and Campbell were planning to get married in August 2023. The wedding band she had ordered for him arrived in the mail the day after he was killed.
The investigation into his murder is ongoing, but as of now, no arrests have been made, and police have not publicly identified any suspects. Family and friends can only speculate about the motive, with some wondering if Yslas, a protector by nature, may have interrupted a crime in progress, such as the catalytic converter thefts that had been reported in the area. The Kansas City Police Department has offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the case. In the wake of his death, his family continues to seek justice and closure, supported by a community that has rallied around them during this difficult time.
